At least 22 hurt as strong quake hits central Japan

Piles of books were left on the floor at one shop in Toyota, Aichi prefecture, following the quake (Kyodo News/AP)

A strong earthquake has hit central Japan, shattering shop windows, causing people to flee buildings and leaving at least 22 people injured, according to local media.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency put the quake’s magnitude at 5.7, while the US Geological Survey reported it at 5.5. Smaller aftershocks were also reported.

A wide area near Aichi prefecture was affected, including the city of Hamamatsu, the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara and nearby prefectures of Yamanashi, where Mount Fuji is located, as well as Gifu.

Japanese TV footage showed broken windows and scattered shards of glass on the streets, while a book shop was left with mounds of books that had flown off the shelves.

The injuries included people who fell from stairs while they were trying to flee.

The quake, which struck just after 1am local time on Sunday, was located about 25 miles below the Earth’s surface in Shizuoka prefecture. Aichi and Shizuoka are neighbouring regions.

The most violent shaking was felt in Aichi, according to official seismic assessments.

The meteorological agency warned people to brace for possible strong quakes in the coming week, especially the next two to three days.

Ayataka Ebita, an agency official, said: “Please be on the lookout for mudslides, falling rocks and the possible effects from rainfall.”

He said no apparent change was detected so far to the Nankai Trough plate, where scientists say a megaquake can possibly hit.

The Shinkansen bullet trains were running at slower speeds in the affected areas as a precautionary measure.