Japan: Magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs off the coast of Chiba Prefecture Feb. 29

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake occurred off the coast of Chiba Prefecture at around 18:35 Feb. 29. The epicenter was about 5 km (3 miles) northeast of Ichinomiya. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 19 km (12 miles), and moderate-to-light shaking was probably felt in coastal areas of Chiba Prefecture close to the epicenter, as well as light-to-weak shaking throughout parts of central and eastern Honshu Island. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake, and significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light aftershocks are likely over the coming days. The event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are possible, particularly near the earthquake's epicenter.