There was an earthquake last night at 2:07. The epicenter seems to have been ben…

There was an earthquake last night at 2:07. The epicenter seems to have been beneath the ocean in an area between Shikoku and Kyushu. As you can see from the image, the quake was felt over a wide area. The magnitude was 6.1. In Aso, the event was level 4 on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale (called “shindo” in Japanese). According the the following Wikipedia page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Meteorological_Agency_seismic_intensity_scale

level 4 is associated with the following:

“Less earthquake-resistant homes can suffer slight damage. Most homes shake strongly and small cracks may appear. The entirety of apartment buildings will shake.”

Look at the Wikipedia page for more detail.

For more information in English also see: http://www.jma.go.jp/en/quake/20140314021932495-140207.html In Japanese: http://www.anshin.pref.kumamoto.jp/rireki/saigai/1-5064.html