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Following a 4.8 magnitude earthquake near Japan's highest peak, Mount Fuji, on the morning of Dec. 3, the hashtag "Mount Fuji eruption" began trending on Japanese Twitter, Reuters reported.

However, the Japanese Meteorological Agency has since announced that there was no indication that the earthquake would increase the chances of the active volcano erupting.

According to Kyodo News, an official from the agency, Shinya Tsukada, said there was no particular change to volcanic observation data at the country's tallest peak.

The 3,776-metre tall mountain is located about 100km west of Tokyo, the capital of Japan.

A 4.8 magnitude earthquake is considered light on the Richter scale. While they can be felt, they generally don't cause damage.

More similar tremors could occur within a week

According to the government agency, there were no initial reports of injuries or major damage to infrastructure, after the quake struck near Mount Fuji in the Yamanashi Prefecture at 6:43am local time, Kyodo News reported.

The earthquake was reportedly felt in parts of Tokyo, and the agency added that tremors of similar intensity could occur within seven days, though there was no threat of a tsunami following the initial quake.

The currently active Mount Fuji previously erupted more than 300 years ago, though there are periods where hundreds of tremors could be recorded in a month, Reuters reported.

No major traffic disruption

Additionally, about 600 households in Yamanashi Prefecture were affected by electricity outages, and some trains operated at reduced speeds after the quake, according to Kyodo News.

While a section of a highway going through Yamanashi Prefecture saw its speed limit lowered to 50km per hour, the Shinkansen bullet trains continued to operate as usual.

There were no major traffic disruptions.

Osaka recorded earthquakes too

Meanwhile, the Wakayama Prefecture near Osaka also recorded an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.4 on the same day, Kyodo News reported.

The quake occurred at around 9:28am, and the meteorological agency has dismissed the threat of a tsunami.

Government warned of consequences of Mount Fuji's potential eruption

Previously on Mar. 31, 2020, a Japanese government panel released a report which stated that train networks and highways in Tokyo would be paralysed within three hours in the event of a major eruption of Mount Fuji, Reuters reported.

This is because just a small amount of ashfall from the eruption could halt train services, while the supply of electricity could be affected with ashfall of 0.3cm or more, according to the Sankei Shimbun.

Motorcycles would be unusable if there are 10cm of dry ashfall, or as little as 3cm of ashfall when it rains.

The head of the panel, Toshitsugu Fujii, stressed the need for measures to be implemented for emergency response and recovery.

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