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M5.4 Earthquake near NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

UTC time: 2025-12-21 01:29:03 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
M5.4
Depth
55.4 km
Source
EMSC

NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Map

M5.4 Earthquake near NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN · 2025-12-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.4 Earthquake near NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN · 2025-12-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On December 21, 2025 at 01:29 UTC, a magnitude M5.4 earthquake occurred near NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN. With a focal depth of about 55 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

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

Details

ID
8fe7aa8b0e93da806b2fa2706665e70fdb8b8efc
Magnitude
M5.4
Depth
55.4 km
UTC time
2025-12-21 01:29:03 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
40.77690, 142.09890
Temperature
13.6°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 55.4 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 55.4 km
Shallow
55.4 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

Felt reports

1felt 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: Dec 21, 2025, 1:42 AM UTC · Last checked: Sep 6, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

Source: EMSC / LastQuake

Nearby population centers

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

PlaceDistanceDirectionPopulation
Hitokawame57.3 kmW24'273
Hachinohe59.2 kmSW239'046
Sapporo262.0 kmN1'973'832

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Osorezan
    Distance: 99 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1787 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 104 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'584 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 107 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Esan
    Distance: 138 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 617 m ·Last eruption: 1874 ·Japan
  • Iwatesan Activity reported
    Distance: 139 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 139 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan

Radius · 100 km

Nearby infrastructure

Up to 3 nearest sites per category

Airports

  • Misawa Airport / Misawa Air BaseJapan · MSJ · RJSM
    62.1 kmStraight-line distance

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

Nuclear power plants

  • Higashidori (Tohoku) nuclear power plantJapanOut of operationReactor units at site: 1
    75.0 kmStraight-line distance
  • Higashidori (Tepco) nuclear power plantJapanOut of operationReactor units at site: 1
    80.2 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

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

Events recorded after this earthquake within 150 km. They are not automatically classified as aftershocks.

First 6 hours2
First 24 hours4
First 72 hours4
Strongest subsequent eventM6.1
M5.52025-12-21 01:29:04 UTC8.5 kmEvent of magnitude 5.5, near of Sapporo (Monde) M5.82025-12-21 01:29:04 UTC12.0 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.32025-12-21 19:32:38 UTC94.1 km109 km S of Honchō, Japan M4.52025-12-21 23:33:05 UTC105.8 kmEASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN M5.72025-12-25 16:17:36 UTC100.4 kmHokkaido, Japan Region M5.62025-12-25 16:17:37 UTC67.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.6, near of Sapporo (Monde) M5.62025-12-25 16:17:41 UTC59.4 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M5.72025-12-25 16:17:42 UTC63.2 kmHokkaido, Japan Region M5.72025-12-25 16:17:42 UTC59.6 kmJapan [Sea] M5.62025-12-25 16:17:43 UTC56.3 km99 km E of Yokohama, Japan M4.62025-12-25 16:25:53 UTC63.3 km94 km E of Mutsu, Japan M4.82025-12-30 23:51:30 UTC148.2 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

No unambiguous area assignment

Context for this earthquake

This event has no unambiguous country assignment in the analysed catalogue. It is therefore not assigned to a regional profile.

Earthquake overview

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#50
Earlier events M≥4206
Earlier events M≥5107
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 UTC25.4 km M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC28.9 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC29.8 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC30.0 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.52025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC26.6 kmHokkaido, Japan Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
529
Country (24h)
—
—
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