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M5.6 Earthquake near Off east coast of Honshu

UTC time: 2026-04-21 18:44:12 UTC Local time: —
Earthquake newsQuakeMap24
Archive record · original publication time was not recorded

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

Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
35.0 km
Source
ISC

Off east coast of Honshu

Map

M5.6 Earthquake near Off east coast of Honshu · 2026-04-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter
M5.6 Earthquake near Off east coast of Honshu · 2026-04-21 — Map showing the location of the epicenter

About this earthquake

On April 21, 2026 at 18:44 UTC, a magnitude M5.6 earthquake occurred near Off east coast of Honshu. With a focal depth of about 35 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

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

Details

ID
927b755d5fad1909fbaebe3b530393b9048b20d3
Magnitude
M5.6
Depth
35.0 km
UTC time
2026-04-21 18:44:12 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
isc
Coordinates
40.15600, 143.46000
Temperature
10.4°C

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 35 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 35 km
Shallow
35 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
Miyako141.4 kmSW51'150
Hachinohe170.5 kmW239'046
Sendai306.7 kmSW1'096'704

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Iwatesan Activity reported
    Distance: 212 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 222 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 223 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 226 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'584 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan
  • Akita-Komagatake
    Distance: 231 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'637 m ·Last eruption: 1971 ·Japan
  • Akita-Yakeyama
    Distance: 231 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'366 m ·Last eruption: 1997 ·Japan

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours8
First 24 hours21
First 72 hours32
Strongest subsequent eventM5.9
M5.32026-04-21 18:44:13 UTC23.0 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.92026-04-21 18:44:15 UTC74.2 kmNear east coast of eastern Honshu M5.22026-04-21 18:44:16 UTC36.3 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.22026-04-22 00:01:07 UTC28.0 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.42026-04-22 00:01:09 UTC36.7 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.22026-04-22 00:01:11 UTC60.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near Sendai (Monde) M5.32026-04-22 00:01:12 UTC34.2 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M5.32026-04-22 00:01:16 UTC142.6 km M4.22026-04-22 09:49:07 UTC40.7 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.52026-04-22 09:49:11 UTC92.1 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72026-04-22 12:06:23 UTC85.0 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.52026-04-22 12:06:24 UTC82.4 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Comparison of seismic sources

2 sources currently report magnitudes from M5.4 to M5.6.

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

SourceMagnitudeDepthPosition difference
ISCM5.635.0 km0.0 km
NNSNM5.435.0 km0.0 km

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#85
Earlier events M≥4453
Earlier events M≥5269
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 UTC142.9 km M7.62026-04-20 07:52:57 UTC29.3 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC147.7 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC148.7 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC135.7 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
499
Country (24h)
—
—
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