Magnitude 5.7 earthquake in Japan injures more than 20, with warnings of further tremors

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck western Shizuoka prefecture in Japan at about 1.04 am on Sunday (4.00 pm GMT Saturday).

The quake, recorded at a depth of about 40 kilometres (25 miles), injured more than 20 people in Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures, officials said.

Wide areas near Aichi prefecture, including the city of Hamamatsu, felt the shaking, as did the ancient capitals of Kyoto and Nara and Yamanashi prefecture.

No tsunami warning was issued in connection with the earthquake, and no tremor was felt in Tokyo, far from the epicentre.

Japanese television channels broadcast images of shattered shop windows with glass scattered across streets, and of books toppled from shelves in a bookshop.

Some people were injured by falling down stairs as they tried to flee during the shaking.

Japan's meteorological agency warned people to be prepared for strong tremors over the coming week, particularly in the next two to three days.

"Be alert to landslides, falling rocks and the effects that rain could bring," agency official Ayataka Ebita told reporters.