Strong earthquake jolts Tokyo area

A strong earthquake jolted Japan’s capital area today. There were no reports of serious damage, but one man was injured by a falling chandelier.

The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.2, was strong enough to sway tall buildings in Tokyo and temporarily halt express train service.

The trains resumed operation an hour-and-a-half later after inspection found no damage to the tracks.

A 58-year-old man in the Tokyo suburb of Toride was taken to the hospital after a living room chandelier crashed on his head during the shaking, local fire department spokesman Shoji Sometani said.

A magnitude-five quake can damage homes if it occurs close to the earth’s surface.

Friday’s earthquake struck just before noon and was focused about 30 miles underground, about 50 miles north of Tokyo.

Japan’s Central Meteorological Agency said there was no fear of tsunami, or ocean waves caused by seismic activity.

Japan, located on the Pacific ‘‘Ring of Fire’’, is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world. It sits atop four tectonic plates, slabs of land that move across the earth’s surface.