'Intense' Magnitude 5.9 Earthquake Rattles Japan - USGS

The Ring of Fire is a horseshoe-shaped region in the Pacific Ocean that is characterized by multiple active volcanoes and hundreds of earthquakes. Japan is one of many countries that make up the region.

A preliminary magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck off the coast of Japan early Tuesday, startling hundreds of thousands of local residents.

Readings detailed by the United States Geological Survey indicate that the quake struck 230 kilometers southeast of Shingū, Japan, at a depth of 376.2 kilometers. Earlier readings reported by independent trackers stated that the quake measured at a magnitude 6.2.

Testimonials submitted to nonprofit European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reveal that the earthquake was felt as far as Minato, a special ward of the Japanese capital of Tokyo.

"Slight shaking for about 2-3 minutes," one user reported, with another chiming in that the rattling prompted a "long shake."

"On the 6th floor and the building swayed for about 30 seconds then calmed down," another local reported. Another individual indicated that the strong earthquake was "quick but a little intense."

There have been no reports of subsequent earthquakes affecting the island nation. However, shortly after officials recorded the magnitude 5.9 reading, an earthquake was reported over in Hawaii - a slight magnitude 2.8 quake.

The last severe earthquake to strike Japan took place in 2011, when a magnitude 9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that later prompted the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. While the quake lasted less than 10 minutes, the powerful shake proved disastrous. Death toll estimates neared 20,000.