FUKUSHIMA, Japan, May 29 (UPI) -- An earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale struck shook areas northeast of Tokyo in eastern Honshu Island early Saturday.
The Japan Meteorological Agency told the Mainichi Daily News that the epicenter of the quake was located about 40 kilometers below the Pacific Ocean floor off Fukushima Prefecture.
The earthquake was severe enough to damage poorly constructed buildings near its epicenter, but because of the location appears to have done little harm. There were no reports of injuries or property damage.
The area has had several mild to moderate quakes in the past year.
The Richter scale is logarithmic, so that a quake measuring 7 on the scale is 10 times more severe than one measuring 6. The 1995 Kobe quake, which killed more than 5,000 people, had a magnitude of 7.2.
