A strong earthquake measuring 5.8 on the Richter scale jolted northeastern Chiba Prefecture early Saturday evening, the Meteorological Agency said.
It was severe enough to knock items off shelves and to cause buildings in the capital to sway. However, there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Train lines serving Tokyo and its eastern suburbs were also temporarily shut down, transport authorities said.
No tsunami warning was issued.
The quake, which struck at 5:54 p.m., registered lower 5 on the Japanese intensity scale of 7 in the town of Tako, Chiba Prefecture.
It registered 4 in Kashima, the towns of Itako and Kawachi in Ibaraki Prefecture, and in Sawara, Narita and the towns of Togane, Oami and Kujukuri in Chiba Prefecture.
It registered 3 in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture, Urawa in Saitama Prefecture, and in metropolitan Tokyo and Yokohama.
The focus of the quake was estimated to be about 50 km below ground in the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture, the agency said.
At Narita airport, the runway was briefly closed after the quake for a safety check, but soon reopened after no trouble was found, airport authorities said.
The intensity of the quake in other areas was 3 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture; 2 in Kawasaki; 3 in Kuki, Saitama Prefecture; and 2 in Utsunomiya, Nikko, Imaichi, all in Tochigi Prefecture, according to the Meteorological Agency.