1.
seismic intensity; earthquake intensity level
A measurement on the Japanese seismic intensity scale indicating how strongly an earthquake is felt at a specific location.
震度五強だった。
The seismic intensity was upper 5.
The Japanese seismic intensity scale (震度階級) measures how strongly shaking is felt at a given location, distinct from magnitude (マグニチュード) which measures total energy released. The scale runs from 0 to 7, with 5 and 6 each split into 弱 (lower) and 強 (upper), giving 10 levels total.
Common collocations
Cultural note
Japanese earthquake reports always include 震度 readings for each affected area. This scale is unique to Japan and is managed by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Learners living in Japan will encounter this term frequently in news and emergency alerts.