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M5.1 Depth: 10.0 km

M5.1 Earthquake near OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

UTC time: 2026-04-20 12:56:45 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On April 20, 2026 at 12:56 UTC, a magnitude M5.1 earthquake occurred near OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN. With a focal depth of about 10 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 EMSC.

Details

Magnitude
M5.1
Depth
10.0 km
UTC time
2026-04-20 12:56:45 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
emsc
Coordinates
39.62090, 143.35150
Temperature
10.9°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 10 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 10 km
Shallow
10 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
Miyako120.9 kmW51'150
Hachinohe185.4 kmNW239'046
Sendai262.4 kmSW1'096'704

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 203 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 217 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan
  • Akita-Komagatake
    Distance: 219 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'637 m ·Last eruption: 1971 ·Japan
  • Akita-Yakeyama
    Distance: 225 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'366 m ·Last eruption: 1997 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 232 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Kurikomayama
    Distance: 232 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'627 m ·Last eruption: 1950 ·Japan

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours7
First 24 hours17
First 72 hours43
Strongest subsequent eventM6.7
M5.22026-04-20 12:56:47 UTC15.4 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near Sendai (Monde) M5.42026-04-20 12:56:47 UTC3.6 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72026-04-20 14:15:29 UTC28.2 km112 km ENE of Miyako, Japan M4.62026-04-20 14:15:30 UTC57.1 km M4.72026-04-20 16:13:14 UTC7.2 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.82026-04-20 16:13:16 UTC25.4 kmOff east coast of Honshu M4.42026-04-20 16:13:17 UTC18.2 km M5.02026-04-21 02:35:45 UTC42.2 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.82026-04-21 02:35:47 UTC31.1 km M4.72026-04-21 05:19:56 UTC38.3 km150 km E of Miyako, Japan M5.02026-04-21 05:19:56 UTC34.5 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72026-04-21 05:19:57 UTC37.2 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#152
Earlier events M≥4337
Earlier events M≥5194
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.52026-04-20 07:52:59 UTC18.5 kmOff east coast of Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan] M7.42026-04-20 07:53:00 UTC45.2 km###.# km ( ###.# mi) NW (az= 308.7) from Wendover, UT M7.42026-04-20 07:52:59 UTC39.6 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.42026-04-20 07:52:58 UTC55.8 km M7.42026-04-20 07:52:56 UTC30.2 km115 km ENE of Miyako, Japan

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
655
Country (24h)
—
—
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