Strong earthquake jolts Japan (magnitude 5.4 - 5 injured)

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Strong earthquake jolts Japan

By MARI YAMAGUCHI, Associated Press Writer
14 minutes ago

TOKYO - A moderate earthquake jolted central Japan on Sunday,
injuring at least five people, damaging houses and a 400-year-old
castle, police and officials said.

The 5.4-magnitude quake hit at 12:19 p.m. local time and was
centered in Mie prefecture, about 200 miles southwest of Tokyo,
the U.S. Geological Survey said.

About six hours later, a magnitude-4.5 temblor believed to be an
aftershock struck the area, Japan's Meteorological Agency reported.

-snip-

The quake also caused part of a stone wall to collapse at the more
than 400-year-old Kameyama Castle, but nobody was injured,
according to local police. Several houses were partially damaged.

-snip-

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070415/ap_on_re_as/japan_earthquake_7

[slackmaster]

1. Not at all an unusual event in Japan

Where my brother lived the locals refer to a quake that size as a "dish rattler".

[kestrel91316]

2. Typical headline exaggerating the event - says "strong" EQ, but

the very first sentence of the article says "moderate".

Here in LA, 5.4 is definitely moderate. In Japan it certainly must be.