Moderate quake hits western Japan

A moderate earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale shook western Wakayama prefecture early Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

By Space War Editorial Team · Editorial process

Published May 14, 2006

A moderate earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale shook western Wakayama prefecture early Monday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake that struck at 1:42 am (1642 GMT).

The quake, which happened some 450 kilometers (280 miles) southwest of Tokyo, was 10 kilometers (six miles) deep, the agency said.

Japan lies at the junction of four tectonic plates and has about 20 percent of the world's powerful earthquakes, frequently jolting Tokyo and other major cities.

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Space War Editorial Team

The Space War Editorial Team produces content across our two editorial pillars: space industry news and Mind & Meaning. We cover launches, missions, satellites, defense, and the technology of getting humans to space, alongside the psychology of ambition, isolation, and meaning under extremes. Articles reflect our team's collective editorial process, source verification, drafting, technical review, and editing, rather than a single writer's work. Space War takes editorial responsibility for content under this byline. For more on how we work, see our editorial policy.