M5.5 quake, lower 5 on Japanese intensity scale, hits Chiba Prefecture

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 struck the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture, near Tokyo, early Thursday, the weather agency said.The 12:07 a.m. quake, which measured lower 5 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, originated at a depth of about 52 kilometers and posed no threats of tsunami, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.A lower 5 reading was recorded in Yokoshibahikari, while weaker shaking was registered in other parts of the prefecture. The quake was also felt in Tokyo and neighboring prefectures, including Tochigi, Ibaraki and Saitama.The agency ini…READ FULL ARTICLE