An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.0 rattled eastern Japan early Wednesday, but no tsunami warning was issued.
The quake that occurred at 1:57 a.m. registered 4 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 in Chiba Prefecture next to Tokyo, with a focus about 70 kilometers below the surface in the prefecture's northwestern region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
The quake was also felt in neighboring prefectures including the capital as well as parts of central Japan. There were no immediate reports of injuries or property damage from the quake.
Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures have experienced frequent quakes recently, including a magnitude-5.5 temblor on Monday night.
