Trains Suspended by Sunday’s Quake in Hokkaido

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:19 JST, June 12, 2023

An earthquake hit Chitose and other areas in Hokkaido at around 6:55 p.m. Sunday, registering an intensity of lower 5 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale of seven.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, there was no danger of tsunami. The focus was off the coast of Urakawa, Hokkaido, and estimated to be about 136 kilometers deep.

The quake had an estimated magnitude of 6.2.

A total of 51 trains were suspended due to the earthquake, affecting about 10,000 passengers on Sunday, according to Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). This included five limited express trains such as the Lilac, which connects Sapporo and Asahikawa, as well as five rapid airport trains that link Sapporo and New Chitose Airport.

On Monday, a total of 21 trains, including three limited express trains and two rapid airport trains, were to be suspended.

The main seismic intensity in each area was as follows:

Lower 5: Chitose, Atsuma, Urakawa

Four: Sapporo, Hakodate, Muroran, Kushiro, Obihiro, Tomakomai, Ebetsu and Mikasa, all in Hokkaido, as well as Mutsu, Higashidori and Hashikami in Aomori Prefecture.