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Japan · Oita Prefecture

M5.0 Earthquake near Saiki, Oita Prefecture (Japan)

UTC time: 2026-09-21 13:38:32 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 Saiki, Oita Prefecture (Japan) · 2026-09-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.0 Earthquake near Saiki, Oita Prefecture (Japan) · 2026-09-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.0 earthquake was recorded near Saiki, Oita Prefecture (Japan) on September 21, 2026 at 13:38 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 43 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS. Japan: over the past 24 hours, QuakeMap24 logged 2 earthquakes, the strongest at M5.1.

Details

ID
499e7d06aec912306ba4f8a56fc20f041498039c
Magnitude
M5.0
Depth
42.7 km
UTC time
2026-09-21 13:38:32 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Japan
State
Oita Prefecture
City
Saiki
Source
usgs
Coordinates
32.59780, 132.08050
Temperature
25.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 42.7 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 42.7 km
Shallow
42.7 km
42.7 km — deeper 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

Tectonic context

Located on the Amur Plate.
Near the boundary Amur ↔ Okinawa · about 99 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Kadogawa29.0 kmW17'526
Nobeoka29.0 kmW119'521
Kōtō City117.9 kmW543'730

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Kujusan
    Distance: 95 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'791 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Japan
  • Asosan Activity reported
    Distance: 98 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'592 m ·Last eruption: 2021 ·Japan
  • Yufu-Tsurumi
    Distance: 100 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Last eruption: 867 ·Japan
  • Kirishimayama
    Distance: 136 km ·Shield ·Elevation: 1'700 m ·Last eruption: 2025 ·Japan
  • Yonemaru-Sumiyoshiike
    Distance: 168 km ·Maar(s) ·Elevation: 40 m ·Last eruption: -6200 ·Japan
  • Unzendake
    Distance: 168 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'483 m ·Last eruption: 1996 ·Japan

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Miyazaki AirportJapan · KMI · RJFM
    99.7 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-09-21

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
GFZM5.110.0 km18.5 km
EMSCM5.129.0 km15.4 km
USGSM5.042.7 km0.0 km

Japan

Context for this earthquake

21 Sep 2025 – 21 Sep 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 950 Catalogue entries

Of 949 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#19
Earlier events M≥4102
Earlier events M≥522
Compared since2025-01-06

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.12026-07-28 07:28:00 UTC118.7 kmUki M7.12025-01-13 12:19:32 UTC86.0 kmMiyazaki M5.72025-11-25 09:01:18 UTC100.2 kmKyushu M5.72025-08-16 21:13:12 UTC60.1 kmKyushu, Japan M5.62025-08-16 21:13:15 UTC62.3 kmKyushu, Japan [Sea: Japan]

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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