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M5.5 Depth: 30.9 km

M5.5 Earthquake near Off east coast of Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan]

UTC time: 2025-12-08 18:56:29 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On December 8, 2025 at 18:56 UTC, a magnitude M5.5 earthquake occurred near Off east coast of Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan]. With a focal depth of about 31 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.5
Depth
30.9 km
UTC time
2025-12-08 18:56:29 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
ingv
Coordinates
40.91840, 143.36400
Temperature
5.3°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 30.9 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 30.9 km
Shallow
30.9 km
Why depth matters

Shallow quakes release energy near the surface — shaking is felt more strongly and damage potential is higher.

Depth classes per USGS

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kuji157.4 kmSW34'418
Hachinohe163.9 kmW239'046
Sapporo291.1 kmNW1'973'832

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Osorezan
    Distance: 192 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1787 ·Japan
  • Esan
    Distance: 208 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 618 m ·Last eruption: 1874 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 211 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'585 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 214 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 233 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 238 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours15
First 24 hours26
First 72 hours45
Strongest subsequent eventM7.0
M5.82025-12-08 18:56:30 UTC27.9 km124 km S of Honchō, Japan M5.92025-12-08 18:56:30 UTC35.1 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M6.12025-12-08 21:52:38 UTC25.0 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.02025-12-08 21:52:39 UTC19.1 km M6.62025-12-08 21:52:40 UTC24.3 km125 km S of Honchō, Japan M6.52025-12-08 21:52:42 UTC36.8 kmEvent of magnitude 6.5, near of Sapporo (Monde) M6.72025-12-08 21:52:42 UTC27.4 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M5.32025-12-08 22:07:14 UTC17.9 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Sapporo (Monde) M5.12025-12-08 22:07:17 UTC29.1 km122 km S of Honchō, Japan M5.12025-12-08 22:07:19 UTC33.4 kmHokkaido, Japan Region M5.32025-12-08 23:59:02 UTC38.7 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.42025-12-08 23:59:03 UTC52.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.4, near of Akita (Monde)

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#32
Earlier events M≥4150
Earlier events M≥586
Compared since2025-01-08

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.72025-12-08 14:15:13 UTC99.8 km M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC102.9 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC103.6 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC89.8 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.52025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC100.8 kmHokkaido, Japan Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
655
Country (24h)
—
—
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