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Japan · Ibaraki Prefecture

M5.0 Earthquake near Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture (Japan)

UTC time: 2026-09-16 15:07:38 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

Automatically generated from measurement data by QuakeMap24. Values may change after further analysis.

Map

M5.0 Earthquake near Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture (Japan) · 2026-09-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture (Japan) · 2026-09-16 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture (Japan) on September 16, 2026 at 15:07 UTC. The earthquake originated at an intermediate depth of about 77 km. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The data is provided by USGS and cross-checked across seismological networks.

Details

ID
038e4d7f628d0e725fa28ba1982f9dad5b6db705
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
77.3 km
UTC time
2026-09-16 15:07:38 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Japan
State
Ibaraki Prefecture
City
Tsukuba
Source
usgs
Coordinates
36.05560, 140.02070
Temperature
19.2°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 77.3 km (Intermediate) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 77.3 km
Intermediate
77.3 km
77.3 km — deeper than the regional average (33.1 km)
Regional average: 33.1 km
Why depth matters

Intermediate-depth quakes are felt across a wider area but usually cause less surface damage.

Depth classes per USGS

Felt reports

45felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: Sep 16, 2026, 11:00 PM UTC · Last checked: Sep 20, 2026, 3:22 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Estimated impact

66 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.8

Tectonic context

Located on the Okhotsk Plate.
Near the boundary Okhotsk ↔ Philippine Sea · about 136 km away

Nearby population centers

Distances are straight-line distances from the epicenter. Population data: GeoNames.

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Tsuchiura10.0 kmW144'399
Suginami City14.9 kmN588'354

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Nantaisan
    Distance: 92 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'486 m ·Last eruption: -9540 ·Japan
  • Akagisan
    Distance: 93 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'828 m ·Japan
  • Takaharayama
    Distance: 96 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'795 m ·Last eruption: -4570 ·Japan
  • Omanago Group
    Distance: 97 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 2'341 m ·Last eruption: -3050 ·Japan
  • Nikko-Shiranesan
    Distance: 101 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 2'578 m ·Last eruption: 1952 ·Japan
  • Harunasan
    Distance: 115 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'449 m ·Last eruption: 550 ·Japan

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Ibaraki AirportJapan · IBR · RJAH
    38.0 kmStraight-line distance
  • Narita International AirportJapan · NRT · RJAA
    46.0 kmStraight-line distance
  • Tokyo Haneda International AirportJapan · HND · RJTT
    60.1 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-20

Nuclear power plants

  • Tokai nuclear power plantJapanUnder construction · Permanently shut downReactor units at site: 2
    66.2 kmStraight-line distance
  • Japan Power Demonstration Reactor nuclear power plantJapanPermanently shut downReactor units at site: 1Approximate location
    68.9 kmStraight-line distance

Source: Global Energy Monitor · Global Nuclear Power Tracker · Dataset date: 2026-08

This selection shows geographic proximity, not a hazard zone or confirmed impacts. Distances use recorded site coordinates. Sources & data dates

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.1.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.037.0 km26.8 km
GFZM5.168.0 km23.5 km
USGSM5.077.3 km0.0 km

Japan

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 952 Catalogue entries

Of 951 other entries for this area and period, 72 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#40
Earlier events M≥4148
Earlier events M≥542
Compared since2025-01-04

The QuakeMap24 comparison dataset begins on 2024-03-23. Earlier earthquakes may not be included.

Strongest earlier events

M6.02026-08-22 17:00:40 UTC28.9 kmAbiko M5.92026-06-26 03:46:36 UTC75.8 kmChoshi M5.82026-06-26 03:46:37 UTC48.1 kmSammu M5.82026-06-26 03:46:36 UTC51.8 kmYokoshibahikari M5.72026-06-26 13:29:02 UTC145.2 kmTsuru

Historic earthquake map · Japan

Open history map
Explore recent and long-term earthquake activity in this country. Use filters to narrow down by magnitude, depth, and date range.

Country statistics · Japan

Country overview
View earthquake KPIs, strongest and latest events, and averages for this country.

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