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M5.9 Depth: 22.0 km

M5.9 Earthquake near Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan

UTC time: 2025-12-08 18:56:28 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.9 earthquake was recorded near Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan on December 8, 2025 at 18:56 UTC. The hypocenter lay relatively close to the surface at around 22 km, increasing how strongly it was felt. Earthquakes of this magnitude can damage poorly built structures.

The event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
22.0 km
UTC time
2025-12-08 18:56:28 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
40.97000, 142.99000
Temperature
4.7°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 22 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 22 km
Shallow
22 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
Kuji134.9 kmSW34'418
Hachinohe136.0 kmW239'046
Sapporo269.6 kmNW1'973'832

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Osorezan
    Distance: 160 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1787 ·Japan
  • Esan
    Distance: 178 km ·Lava dome(s) ·Elevation: 618 m ·Last eruption: 1874 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 181 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'585 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 185 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 209 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 213 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 hours16
First 24 hours27
First 72 hours46
Strongest subsequent eventM7.0
M5.52025-12-08 18:56:29 UTC31.9 kmOff east coast of Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan] M5.82025-12-08 18:56:30 UTC7.3 km124 km S of Honchō, Japan M5.92025-12-08 18:56:30 UTC9.9 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M6.12025-12-08 21:52:38 UTC56.7 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.02025-12-08 21:52:39 UTC13.4 km M6.62025-12-08 21:52:40 UTC10.1 km125 km S of Honchō, Japan M6.52025-12-08 21:52:42 UTC14.9 kmEvent of magnitude 6.5, near of Sapporo (Monde) M6.72025-12-08 21:52:42 UTC11.2 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M5.32025-12-08 22:07:14 UTC22.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.3, near of Sapporo (Monde) M5.12025-12-08 22:07:17 UTC8.0 km122 km S of Honchō, Japan M5.12025-12-08 22:07:19 UTC11.4 kmHokkaido, Japan Region M5.32025-12-08 23:59:02 UTC20.8 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#12
Earlier events M≥4138
Earlier events M≥573
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 UTC68.1 km M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC71.1 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC71.7 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC58.0 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.52025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC69.0 kmHokkaido, Japan Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
655
Country (24h)
—
—
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