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M5.6 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.6 Earthquake near Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan

UTC time: 2025-12-16 05:38:48 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.6 earthquake was recorded near Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan on December 16, 2025 at 05:38 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 10 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

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

Details

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-16 05:38:48 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
40.91000, 143.08000
Temperature
7.1°C

Map

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
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
Kuji136.8 kmSW34'418
Hachinohe140.8 kmW239'046
Sapporo279.2 kmNW1'973'832

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Osorezan
    Distance: 169 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1787 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 188 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'585 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan
  • Esan
    Distance: 188 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 618 m ·Last eruption: 1874 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 191 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 212 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 216 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 hours0
First 24 hours1
First 72 hours10
Strongest subsequent eventM6.1
M3.72025-12-16 22:28:30 UTC83.3 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M5.12025-12-17 09:50:15 UTC79.1 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near of Sapporo (Monde) M5.02025-12-17 09:50:17 UTC71.8 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M5.02025-12-17 09:50:18 UTC71.3 km99 km SSW of Urakawa, Japan M5.02025-12-17 09:50:19 UTC64.9 kmHokkaido, Japan Region M4.82025-12-18 00:50:36 UTC130.1 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72025-12-18 00:50:42 UTC116.6 km104 km ENE of Miyako, Japan M5.02025-12-18 00:50:46 UTC140.6 kmEvent of magnitude 5.0, near of Sendai (Monde) M4.92025-12-18 05:20:06 UTC120.0 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.92025-12-18 05:20:10 UTC131.3 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.02025-12-19 21:40:04 UTC126.4 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72025-12-19 21:40:07 UTC133.8 km121 km E of Miyako, Japan

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#45
Earlier events M≥4231
Earlier events M≥5129
Compared since2025-01-05

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 UTC76.2 km M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC79.5 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC80.2 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC66.3 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.52025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC77.2 kmHokkaido, Japan Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
650
Country (24h)
—
—
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