A strong earthquake has rocked central Japan, shattering store windows, causing people to flee buildings and leaving at least 22 people injured.
Japan’s Meteorological Agency put the quake’s magnitude at 5.7. Smaller aftershocks were reported.
A wide area near Aichi Prefecture was affected, including the city of Hamamatsu, the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara and nearby prefectures of Yamanashi, where Mount Fuji is located, as well as Gifu.
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Japanese TV footage showed shattered store windows and scattered shards of glass on the streets.
The quake was located about 40km below the earth’s surface in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Japan’s meteorological agency warned people to brace for possible strong quakes in the coming week, especially the next two to three days.
“Please be on the lookout for mudslides, falling rocks and the possible effects from rainfall,” Ayataka Ebita, an agency official, told reporters.
Japan, which sits on the Pacific “ring of fire”, is one of the world’s most earthquake-prone countries.
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