Tokyo and its surrounding prefectures endured a tense day on June 26 as three earthquakes struck within hours, leaving residents rattled and anxious.
The strongest came late at night — a magnitude 5.6 quake near Mount Fuji’s Fuji Five Lakes in Yamanashi Prefecture at 10:29 p.m.
The tremor, at a depth of 20 km, registered seismic intensity lower than six in Fujikawaguchiko Town, where standing became difficult, and furniture collapsed. In Tokyo, intensity 3 shaking was felt, enough to unsettle millions.
Train services on the Tokaido Shinkansen were halted, stranding passengers between Tokyo and Shizuoka.
Earlier in the day, at 11:49 a.m., a magnitude 4.1 quake in southern Ibaraki Prefecture shook homes and offices.
Less than an hour later, at 12:46 p.m., a magnitude 5.8 quake in Chiba Prefecture rattled the region again, with intensity 4 locally and intensity 3 in Tokyo. For many, the repeated jolts felt relentless.
Residents voiced their unease. “Such frequent earthquakes are unprecedented,” said one Tokyoite. Online, others worried the Mount Fuji tremor could be linked to volcanic activity.
“Even though it’s supposed to be safe, the shaking was the strongest I’ve felt recently, and it was frightening,” wrote another.
The quakes come on the heels of a magnitude 7.2 earthquake off Iwate Prefecture on June 25 and a magnitude 5.5 quake in Ibaraki on June 16, fueling fears of heightened seismic activity nationwide.
As if the tremors weren’t enough, meteorologists warned of a “double typhoon” — Typhoon 7 and Typhoon 8 — forecast to hit central Honshu on June 27. Communities are bracing for storms even as they recover from the quakes.
Across Japan, families are checking emergency kits, neighbours are urging each other to prepare, and many are wondering if these shocks are a prelude to something larger. The mood is one of vigilance, resilience, and quiet anxiety.
