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M6.4 Depth: 10.0 km

M6.4 Earthquake near Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture (Japan)

UTC time: 2026-05-15 11:21:57 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M6.4 earthquake was recorded near Ofunato, Iwate Prefecture (Japan) on May 15, 2026 at 11:21 UTC. With a focal depth of about 10 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size are considered strong and can be dangerous in inhabited regions.

The data is provided by Seismological Survey of Serbia and cross-checked across seismological networks. Japan: 2 earthquakes were recorded in the past 24 hours, the strongest reaching M3.7.

Details

Magnitude
M6.4
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-05-15 11:21:57 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Japan
State
Iwate Prefecture
City
Ofunato
Source
serbia_rsz
Coordinates
38.93000, 141.99000

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
10 km — shallower than the regional average (34.4 km)
Regional average: 34.4 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
Ōfunato28.4 kmNW35'452
Ichinoseki74.1 kmW114'476
Sendai122.4 kmSW1'096'704

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Kurikomayama
    Distance: 104 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'627 m ·Last eruption: 1950 ·Japan
  • Naruko
    Distance: 111 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 470 m ·Last eruption: 837 ·Japan
  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 133 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Akita-Komagatake
    Distance: 138 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'637 m ·Last eruption: 1971 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 150 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan
  • Akita-Yakeyama
    Distance: 156 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'366 m ·Last eruption: 1997 ·Japan

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 250 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours5
First 24 hours5
First 72 hours11
Strongest subsequent eventM6.7
M6.52026-05-15 11:21:58 UTC4.1 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M6.22026-05-15 11:21:59 UTC21.6 kmda chuan du shi M6.72026-05-15 11:22:01 UTC22.6 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) NW (az= 308.3) from Wendover, UT M6.72026-05-15 11:22:01 UTC5.5 km M6.62026-05-15 11:22:06 UTC27.7 kmNear east coast of eastern Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan] M5.02026-05-17 00:07:24 UTC149.7 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72026-05-17 00:07:28 UTC141.2 km M4.62026-05-17 00:07:30 UTC169.2 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.22026-05-17 02:42:15 UTC15.0 kmda chuan du shi M3.72026-05-17 09:02:30 UTC26.2 km M4.02026-05-18 06:19:30 UTC119.5 km M4.82026-05-18 17:04:28 UTC155.2 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 250 km.

Magnitude rank#29
Earlier events M≥4646
Earlier events M≥5305
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.62026-04-20 07:52:57 UTC161.0 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC234.4 km M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC235.3 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC231.7 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.52026-04-20 07:52:59 UTC127.4 kmOff east coast of Honshu, 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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