Japan: A magnitude-5.1 offshore earthquake occurs south of Honshu Island at around 12:12 July 4

A magnitude-5.1 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean south of Honshu Island at around 12:12 July 4. The epicenter was about 7 km (4 miles) east-southeast of Katsuura, Chiba Prefecture. The tremor occurred at a depth of about 40 km (25 miles), and weak-to-light shaking was probably felt throughout parts of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, Shizuoka, Tochigi, Tokyo, and Yamanashi prefectures. There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Light-to-moderate 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.