[Editor's Pick] "Reminds Me of the Great East Japan Earthquake"... Tokyo Governor Startled Mid-Speech

Just before 8:00 PM, an earthquake alert sounds, and the NTV newsroom in Tokyo begins preparing a breaking news report.

[Voice: Shindo 5-weak in Gunma Prefecture, it is 5-weak.]

A camera at the broadcasting station capturing the nearby Shimbashi Station also shakes violently.

On the evening of June 16, at approximately 7:46 PM, a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck the areas of Gunma and Saitama Prefectures in central Honshu, Japan, causing tremors to be felt as far as Tokyo, about 80 km away.

Pleasant social gatherings instantly froze at the sound of the alarm.

[Voice: It's an earthquake. This is serious.]

At the same time, Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike was speaking at the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly.

[Interview: Yuriko Koike / Governor of Tokyo: I will speak about wage increases. For workers to have peace of mind... Is everyone alright?]

The Governor stopped her speech, and the proceedings were interrupted.

[Interview: Yuriko Koike / Governor of Tokyo: (The shaking) is a bit strong.]

In Gunma Prefecture, where the tremors were strongest, a seismic intensity of 5-weak was recorded, strong enough to cause dishes to fall from shelves and unsecured furniture to topple over.

[Voice: Resident of Gunma Prefecture: It was a short time, but it shook really hard. It reminded me of the Great East Japan Earthquake 15 years ago.]

Public transportation was halted, causing inconvenience to citizens on their way home from work.

[Voice: Office Worker: The train is delayed. Is it going to be late?]

Some Shinkansen (bullet trains) experienced sudden interior light outages and emergency stops.

[Voice: Passenger: I was startled because the Shinkansen suddenly hit the brakes and stopped.]

The area around the southern part of Ibaraki Prefecture, the epicenter, is where three tectonic plates meet and is considered a high-seismic activity zone in Japan.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake off the coast of Sanriku two months ago, which was also felt in Tokyo, is related to this triple-plate structure.

The Japan Meteorological Agency stated that the possibility of this leading to a massive earthquake is low, but advised the public to remain cautious for the next week.

Tokyo 'Shaken' Again in Two Months... Governor Startled Mid-Speech (June 18, 2026, Global D Report)

Reported by Moon Jun-mo | Written by Kim Da-yeon | Video by Han Cheol-min and Moon Hyun-jin | Video Editing by Kim Byung-jik | Graphics by Kim Ye-ji | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.