23 injured as 5.9-magnitude quake rattles eastern Japan, tremors felt in Tokyo

A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early Sunday, injuring 23 people, most of them slightly, officials said. There was no danger of a tsunami.According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the quake occurred in southern Ibaraki prefecture at a depth of 70 kilometres (42 miles), an area of Japan prone to frequent earthquakes. The US Geological Survey recorded a preliminary magnitude of 5.8.Twenty-three people suffered injuries across four prefectures in the region, nine in Saitama, nine in Kanagawa, four in Chiba and one in Ibaraki, according to prefectural officials. Most of the injured people fell down or hit themselves against furniture or doors after the quake caught them off guard while they were sleeping. They got out of bed in a panic, officials said.