Magnitude 5 quake hits Japan’s Nagano prefecture

AdvertisementJapanAsiaEast AsiaMagnitude 5 quake hits Japan’s Nagano prefectureThe 1.20pm quake in Omachi registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic scale, strong enough ‌to make movement difficult without support 1-MIN READ1-MIN ListenKyodoPublished: 1:14pm, 18 Apr 2026Updated: 1:16pm, 18 Apr 2026An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 struck the northern part of Nagano prefecture in central Japan on Saturday, the country’s weather agency said.The 1.20pm quake in Omachi registered an upper 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7, strong enough ‌to make movement difficult without support. It occurred at a depth of 10km (six miles), according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.AdvertisementIt was ‌not ‌immediately clear whether there ‌was any damage. Earthquakes are ⁠common in Japan, one of the ⁠world’s most seismically active areas. Japan accounts for ‌about one fifth ‌of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. AdvertisementAdditional reporting by Reuters AdvertisementSelect VoiceSelect Speed0.8x0.9x1.0x1.1x1.2x1.5x1.75x00:0000:001.00x