At least 22 people were injured when a strong earthquake shook central Japan early on Sunday, shattering store windows, sending people fleeing from buildings and scattering goods from shelves, according to local media reports carried by the Associated Press. The toll is the first casualty figure for the tremor: when Awaaz Punjab first reported the quake on Saturday, officials had reported no casualties in the initial coverage. No fatalities had been reported as the count emerged.

Source: Associated Press (Yuri Kageyama), via The Hindu BusinessLine, Nov 8 2026 — Strong earthquake shakes central Japan, injuring at least 22

The Japan Meteorological Agency put the quake's magnitude at 5.7, while the US Geological Survey reported it at 5.5. It struck at 1:04 a.m. local time, about 40 kilometres (25 miles) below the surface in western Shizuoka Prefecture, and registered upper 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in Chita City, Aichi Prefecture — shaking that can break windows and topple household items — with lower 5 recorded in parts of Aichi, Shizuoka, Gifu and Nagano prefectures, Japanese media reported. Several smaller aftershocks followed.

Source: The Daily Jagran, Nov 8 2026 — Second earthquake strikes Japan in three days, 22 injured

22people injured — including falls on stairs while fleeing; no fatalities reported
5.7 / 5.5magnitude — Japan Meteorological Agency / US Geological Survey readings
1:04 a.m.local time the quake struck western Shizuoka Prefecture, about 40 km deep
2nd in 3 daysit follows the magnitude 6.1 tremor off the Tokyo coast on Thursday

What the damage looks like

Japanese television footage showed shattered store windows and shards of glass scattered on streets, and a bookstore left with mounds of books that had flown off the shelves; in the Aichi city of Toyota, footage showed a large pile of books knocked from a bookstore shelf by the shaking. A wide area near Aichi Prefecture was affected, including the city of Hamamatsu, the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara, and the nearby prefectures of Yamanashi — where Mount Fuji is located — and Gifu. Tokyo, far up the Honshu coast, was not affected.

The meteorological agency warned people to brace for possible strong quakes in the coming week, especially the next two to three days. Agency official Ayataka Ebita told reporters: "Please be on the lookout for mudslides, falling rocks and the possible effects from rainfall." Shinkansen bullet trains were running at slower speeds in the affected areas as a precautionary measure, and the central government set up an emergency liaison office at the Prime Minister's Office to assess the situation and coordinate the response, the reports said.

Earlier report

Awaaz Punjab's first report on this earthquake, published when no casualties had been reported, recorded the upper-5 shaking in Chita as Aichi's strongest since March 1997 and confirmed there was no tsunami threat. Read the first report: Magnitude 5.7 earthquake strikes central Japan

What is solid

  • At least 22 people were injured and no fatalities had been reported — Associated Press, citing local media, Nov 8.
  • The quake measured 5.7 (JMA) / 5.5 (USGS), struck at 1:04 a.m. about 40 km under western Shizuoka, caused no tsunami threat, and was followed by smaller aftershocks — AP and Japanese media reports.
  • The JMA warned of possible strong quakes over the coming week, especially the next two to three days, and Shinkansen ran at reduced speeds — AP.

What is only claimed

  • The exact injury count is still a local-media tally gathered while damage surveys continue — it may change as prefectural officials complete their assessments.
  • Why the two magnitude readings differ — JMA and USGS use different networks and methods; both figures are reported here as given.
Second tremor in three days

Sunday's quake came two days after a magnitude 6.1 tremor struck off the Tokyo coast — a reminder, in the world's most earthquake-prepared country, of how quickly back-to-back tremors can stretch even Japan's drills, building codes and rail safety systems. No tsunami threat was issued for either quake.

What happens next: damage surveys by prefectural officials will settle the final injury and damage totals, and the JMA's warning window — strongest over the next two to three days — will decide how long slowed trains, inspections and the Prime Minister's Office liaison desk stay in place. Awaaz Punjab will update this story if the toll changes.