Strong Kanto quake triggers warnings of similar shaking over next week

BREAKING: A magnitude 5.9 earthquake jolts Tokyo and the wider Kanto region, registering up to lower 5 on Japan's seismic scale, injuring at least 17 people, with authorities warning of similar shaking over the coming week.

Tokyo was shaken awake at two in the morning by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake, and at least seventeen people are hurt.

The quake was centred in southern Ibaraki Prefecture, 68 kilometres down, and it registered lower 5 on Japan's seven point scale in parts of Tokyo, Ibaraki, Saitama and Chiba. That's strong enough to knock things off shelves and force you to grab hold of something. Nine people were injured in Saitama, eight in Kanagawa, and a ceiling partially collapsed at Ushiku City Hall. People were trapped in elevators in Tokyo, and trains across Kanto were delayed through the morning. No tsunami alert was issued.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi set up a crisis liaison office within the hour and urged people to stay alert. And that's the part that matters most tonight. The Meteorological Agency is warning that shaking of similar strength could hit again at any point over the coming week.

This is Liu Yang, reporting for HIT.