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Japan · Chiba Prefecture

M5.3 Earthquake near Sosa, Chiba Prefecture (Japan)

UTC time: 2026-10-01 12:27:12 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
First published: Content updated:

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

Map

M5.3 Earthquake near Sosa, Chiba Prefecture (Japan) · 2026-10-01 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.3 Earthquake near Sosa, Chiba Prefecture (Japan) · 2026-10-01 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On October 1, 2026 at 12:27 UTC, a magnitude M5.3 earthquake occurred near Sosa, Chiba Prefecture (Japan). The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 42 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by USGS.

Details

ID
8e34738401406d681ca1115da3f8aaf88d54eacd
Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
41.6 km
UTC time
2026-10-01 12:27:12 UTC
Local time
—
Country
Japan
State
Chiba Prefecture
City
Sosa
Source
usgs
Coordinates
35.70250, 140.55070
Temperature
23.5°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 41.6 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 41.6 km
Shallow
41.6 km
41.6 km — deeper than the regional average (33.2 km)
Regional average: 33.2 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

Felt reports

24felt reports at EMSC / LastQuake

Voluntary reports of feeling this earthquake. The count is not an intensity measurement and is not added to USGS DYFI reports.

Data updated: Oct 1, 2026, 9:03 PM UTC · Last checked: Oct 4, 2026, 11:52 AM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Estimated impact

25 Felt reports · max reported intensity 3.7

Tectonic context

Located on the Okhotsk Plate.
Near the boundary Okhotsk ↔ Philippine Sea · about 119 km away

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Asahi2.6 kmNE64'690
Narita29.2 kmW132'906
Chiba47.4 kmW979'768

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Hakoneyama
    Distance: 148 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 1'438 m ·Last eruption: 2015 ·Japan
  • Takaharayama
    Distance: 150 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'795 m ·Last eruption: -4570 ·Japan
  • Izu-Oshima
    Distance: 151 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 758 m ·Last eruption: 1990 ·Japan
  • Nantaisan
    Distance: 152 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 2'486 m ·Last eruption: -9540 ·Japan
  • Akagisan
    Distance: 155 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'828 m ·Japan
  • Omanago Group
    Distance: 156 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 2'341 m ·Last eruption: -3050 ·Japan

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Narita International AirportJapan · NRT · RJAA
    16.4 kmStraight-line distance
  • Ibaraki AirportJapan · IBR · RJAH
    54.7 kmStraight-line distance
  • Tokyo Haneda International AirportJapan · HND · RJTT
    71.1 kmStraight-line distance

Source: OurAirports · Dataset date: 2026-10-04

Nuclear power plants

  • Tokai nuclear power plantJapanUnder construction · Permanently shut downReactor units at site: 2
    80.1 kmStraight-line distance
  • Japan Power Demonstration Reactor nuclear power plantJapanPermanently shut downReactor units at site: 1Approximate location
    84.0 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

Comparison of seismic sources

3 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.0 to M5.3.

Measurements can differ because agencies use different networks and calculation methods. Values may be revised.

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
EMSCM5.146.0 km6.8 km
GFZM5.063.0 km28.7 km
USGSM5.341.6 km0.0 km

Chiba Prefecture

Context for this earthquake

04 Oct 2025 – 04 Oct 2026 · M ≥ 3.0 · 34 Catalogue entries

Of 33 other entries for this area and period, 5 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#28
Earlier events M≥4144
Earlier events M≥544
Compared since2025-01-04

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

Strongest earlier events

M6.02026-08-22 17:00:40 UTC51.2 kmAbiko M5.92026-06-26 03:46:36 UTC27.6 kmChoshi M5.82026-06-26 03:46:37 UTC24.2 kmSammu M5.82026-06-26 03:46:36 UTC13.3 kmYokoshibahikari M5.62026-06-16 10:46:27 UTC85.5 kmNoda

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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