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M5.3 Depth: 37.0 km

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

UTC time: 2026-04-21 18:44:13 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

A magnitude M5.3 earthquake was recorded near Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan on April 21, 2026 at 18:44 UTC. With a focal depth of about 37 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
37.0 km
UTC time
2026-04-21 18:44:13 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
gfz
Coordinates
40.14000, 143.19000
Temperature
10.1°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 37 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 37 km
Shallow
37 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
Miyako119.9 kmSW51'150
Hachinohe148.8 kmW239'046
Sendai288.9 kmSW1'096'704

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 189 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 200 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan
  • Towada
    Distance: 200 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 204 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'585 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan
  • Akita-Yakeyama
    Distance: 208 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'366 m ·Last eruption: 1997 ·Japan
  • Akita-Komagatake
    Distance: 208 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'637 m ·Last eruption: 1971 ·Japan

Subsequent earthquakes nearby

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

First 6 hours7
First 24 hours20
First 72 hours31
Strongest subsequent eventM5.9
M5.92026-04-21 18:44:15 UTC55.4 kmNear east coast of eastern Honshu M5.22026-04-21 18:44:16 UTC16.3 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.22026-04-22 00:01:07 UTC35.4 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.42026-04-22 00:01:09 UTC33.6 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.22026-04-22 00:01:11 UTC38.2 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near Sendai (Monde) M5.32026-04-22 00:01:12 UTC24.7 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M5.32026-04-22 00:01:16 UTC120.1 km M4.22026-04-22 09:49:07 UTC23.7 kmOFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.52026-04-22 09:49:11 UTC70.3 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72026-04-22 12:06:23 UTC62.2 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.52026-04-22 12:06:24 UTC60.7 kmNEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN M4.52026-04-22 12:06:26 UTC78.0 km47 km ENE of Noda, Japan

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#154
Earlier events M≥4482
Earlier events M≥5279
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 UTC127.9 km M7.62026-04-20 07:52:57 UTC8.4 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC132.8 kmHOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC133.9 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC121.6 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
652
Country (24h)
—
—
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