CenterHigh
Japan TimesNews report · Aug 22, 5:24 PM
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rattles Tokyo and eastern Kanto region
Shaking registered lower 5 on Japan's seven-point seismic scale. There was no risk of a tsunami.
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4 sources checked · 2 source groups included · 2h ago
Still Watching
Magnitude 5.9 earthquake rattles Tokyo and eastern Kanto region
The Mirror UK and Washington's Top News (WTOP) describe the same event in different terms.
2 Left2 Center0 Right
STILL WATCHING
As of August 22, 2026 at 6:59 PM, this is how Optics News reads the wording differences in this story.
What happened Shaking registered lower 5 on Japan's seven-point seismic scale. There was no risk of a tsunami.
The headline split The left frames it as "A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.9 shakes eastern Japan. No tsunami alert is issued". The center frames it as "A moderate, magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes eastern Japan. No tsunami alert is issued".
Match confidence Medium confidence. 4 sources across 2 bias buckets. Useful framing signal — check the source list before sharing.
Same-event confidenceMedium
4 sources across 2 bias buckets agree on the event.
Framing confidenceModerate
51/99 — meaningful wording shift across the spectrum.
WHAT EACH SIDE EMPHASIZED
Left / center-leftA moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.9 shakes eastern Japan. No tsunami alert is issued
The Seattle Times · Center-left · News report
CenterMagnitude 5.9 earthquake rattles Tokyo and eastern Kanto region
Japan Times · Center · News report
Right / center-rightNo matching source in this bucket yet.
Optics keeps watching for pickup.
SEE THE HEADLINES
Open source
CenterMostly Factual
Washington's Top News (WTOP)News report · Aug 22, 6:59 PM
A moderate, magnitude 5.9 earthquake shakes eastern Japan. No tsunami alert is issued
TOKYO (AP) — A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, early…
Center-leftHigh
The Seattle TimesNews report · Aug 22, 5:59 PM
A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.9 shakes eastern Japan. No tsunami alert is issued
A moderate earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.9 has rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, but no tsunami warning was issued.
Center-leftMixed
The Mirror UKNews report · Aug 22, 5:44 PM
Japan earthquake measuring magnitude 5.9 shakes Tokyo and eastern Kanto region
A 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook Japan's capital, Tokyo, and the eastern Kanto region in the early hours of Sunday local time
Details51/99 Wording Gap · Medium confidence · 4 sources
51/99 Wording GapMedium confidence4 sources · 2 bias bucketsLive match · 4 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news formatFormats: News report
SOURCE MAP CHANGES
Aug 22, 5:24 PM: Japan Times joined the source map.
Aug 22, 5:44 PM: The Mirror UK joined the source map.
Aug 22, 5:59 PM: The Seattle Times joined the source map.
Aug 22, 6:59 PM: Washington's Top News (WTOP) joined the source map.
Now: Wording Gap is 51/99 and story health is live match · 4 sources · 2 buckets · comparable news format.