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M5.3 Depth: 24.0 km

M5.3 Earthquake near Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan

UTC time: 2026-04-20 09:49:43 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan on April 20, 2026 at 09:49 UTC. With a focal depth of about 24 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 event was recorded by GFZ.

Details

Magnitude
M5.3
Depth
24.0 km
UTC time
2026-04-20 09:49:43 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
39.79000, 143.35000
Temperature
9.7°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 24 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 24 km
Shallow
24 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
Miyako121.6 kmW51'150
Hachinohe175.9 kmNW239'046
Sendai273.3 kmSW1'096'704

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 201 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 214 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan
  • Akita-Komagatake
    Distance: 218 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'637 m ·Last eruption: 1971 ·Japan
  • Akita-Yakeyama
    Distance: 222 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'366 m ·Last eruption: 1997 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 225 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 231 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'585 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours11
First 24 hours25
First 72 hours55
Strongest subsequent eventM6.7
M3.82026-04-20 10:00:32 UTC54.9 km M4.82026-04-20 10:37:31 UTC35.4 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.82026-04-20 10:37:33 UTC45.9 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.32026-04-20 10:44:12 UTC35.6 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.02026-04-20 10:44:16 UTC35.4 km111 km E of Yamada, Japan M5.12026-04-20 12:56:45 UTC18.8 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M5.12026-04-20 12:56:45 UTC23.9 km129 km E of Yamada, Japan M5.32026-04-20 12:56:46 UTC7.2 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.22026-04-20 12:56:47 UTC13.3 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near Sendai (Monde) M5.42026-04-20 12:56:47 UTC19.2 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.62026-04-20 14:15:30 UTC51.6 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.72026-04-20 16:13:14 UTC25.7 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#131
Earlier events M≥4401
Earlier events M≥5237
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 UTC37.3 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.52026-04-20 07:52:59 UTC23.6 kmOff east coast of Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan] M7.42026-04-20 07:53:01 UTC31.6 km100 km ENE of Miyako, Japan M7.42026-04-20 07:52:59 UTC29.6 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.42026-04-20 07:52:58 UTC41.9 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
655
Country (24h)
—
—
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