The Japan Meteorological Agency reported an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 in/around the southern Ibaraki Prefecture, at a depth of about 50 km, at around 0908 hours on Thursday (21 March). No casualties have been reported and no tsunami warning has been issued, as of yet.

• The earthquake was felt across the Kanto region, in Ibaraki Prefecture, some areas in Gunma Prefecture and most of Saitama Prefecture, and across Tokyo and certain parts of Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures.
• No abnormality had been reported at the Tokai No. 2 nuclear plant in Ibaraki, which was halted for safety checks, following the quake. And as per the Tokyo Electric Power Company, no power outages were reported on its grid.
• Tohoku Shinkansen bullet train services were temporarily suspended between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations due to a power outage as per the East Japan Railway. Further, Hokuriku Shinkansen and Joetsu Shinkansen railway line services were also temporarily suspended, which has now resumed.