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Japan · Kumamoto Prefecture

M4.0 Earthquake near Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture (Japan)

UTC time: 2026-09-15 21:09:30 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded Content updated:

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

Magnitude
M4.0
Depth
10.0 km
Source
EMSC

Kumamoto Prefecture · Minamata

Country overview

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About this earthquake

A magnitude M4.0 earthquake was recorded near Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture (Japan) on September 15, 2026 at 21:09 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Tremors of this size are distinctly felt and can occasionally cause light damage.

The event was recorded by EMSC.

Details

ID
10a8b75455c1c4ecebd735ab23ab1cb95f91631d
Magnitude
M4.0
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-09-15 21:09:30 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Japan
State
Kumamoto Prefecture
City
Minamata
Source
emsc
Coordinates
32.20000, 130.40000
Temperature
22.3°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 km
10 km — shallower than the regional average (33.1 km)
Regional average: 33.1 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

Volcanoes nearby

  • Yonemaru-Sumiyoshiike
    Distance: 51 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 40 m ·Last eruption: -6200 ·Japan
  • Kirishimayama
    Distance: 53 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'700 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Japan
  • Unzendake
    Distance: 63 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'483 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Japan
  • Aira Activity reported
    Distance: 73 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'117 m ·Last eruption: 2026 ·Japan
  • Asosan Activity reported
    Distance: 100 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'592 m ·Last eruption: 2021 ·Japan
  • Ata
    Distance: 114 km ·Caldera(s) ·Elevation: 924 m ·Last eruption: 885 ·Japan

Radius · 50 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Amakusa AirportJapan · AXJ · RJDA
    38.7 kmStraight-line distance

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

Nuclear power plants

  • Sendai nuclear power plantJapanOperating at dataset dateReactor units at site: 2
    45.4 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

Kumamoto Prefecture

Context for this earthquake

20 Sep 2025 – 20 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 189 Catalogue entries

Of 188 other entries for this area and period, 30 have a higher stored magnitude. Different magnitude types and reports not yet merged limit the comparison.

Open seismic profile

Historic earthquake map · Japan

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Country statistics · Japan

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

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