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M5.9 Depth: 14.8 km

M5.9 Earthquake near Near east coast of eastern Honshu

UTC time: 2026-04-21 18:44:15 UTC Local time: —

About this earthquake

On April 21, 2026 at 18:44 UTC, a magnitude M5.9 earthquake occurred near Near east coast of eastern Honshu. With a focal depth of about 15 km, this was a shallow earthquake, whose shaking is usually felt more strongly at the surface. Events of this size can cause damage near the epicenter.

The event was recorded by ISC.

Details

Magnitude
M5.9
Depth
14.8 km
UTC time
2026-04-21 18:44:15 UTC
Local time
—
Country
—
Source
isc
Coordinates
40.43670, 142.66600
Temperature
10.5°C

Map

Depth profile

Depth profile Depth: 14.8 km (Shallow) Surface Shallow Intermediate Deep 0 km 70 km 300 km 700 km 14.8 km
Shallow
14.8 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
Kuji80.9 kmW34'418
Hachinohe98.9 kmW239'046
Sendai286.6 kmSW1'096'704

GeoNames · CC BY 4.0

Volcanoes nearby

  • Towada
    Distance: 151 km ·Caldera ·Elevation: 1'011 m ·Last eruption: 915 ·Japan
  • Hakkodasan
    Distance: 153 km ·Stratovolcano(es) ·Elevation: 1'585 m ·Last eruption: 1550 ·Japan
  • Iwatesan
    Distance: 156 km ·Complex ·Elevation: 2'038 m ·Last eruption: 1919 ·Japan
  • Osorezan
    Distance: 160 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 878 m ·Last eruption: 1787 ·Japan
  • Hachimantai
    Distance: 163 km ·Stratovolcano ·Elevation: 1'613 m ·Last eruption: -5350 ·Japan
  • Akita-Yakeyama
    Distance: 170 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 hours3
First 24 hours16
First 72 hours27
Strongest subsequent eventM5.5
M5.42026-04-22 00:01:09 UTC84.6 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.22026-04-22 00:01:11 UTC49.2 kmEvent of magnitude 5.2, near Sendai (Monde) M5.32026-04-22 00:01:12 UTC73.7 km M4.22026-04-22 09:49:07 UTC63.9 km M4.52026-04-22 09:49:11 UTC66.7 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.72026-04-22 12:06:23 UTC33.5 kmNear East Coast of Honshu, Japan M4.52026-04-22 12:06:24 UTC19.3 km M4.52026-04-22 12:06:26 UTC33.7 km47 km ENE of Noda, Japan M5.32026-04-22 12:18:32 UTC75.5 kmOff East Coast of Honshu, Japan M5.02026-04-22 12:18:38 UTC53.9 km93 km ENE of Miyako, Japan M5.12026-04-22 13:35:23 UTC93.2 kmEvent of magnitude 5.1, near Sendai (Monde) M4.82026-04-22 13:35:24 UTC83.6 km

Historical context nearby

Comparison with recorded earthquakes before this event within 150 km.

Magnitude rank#44
Earlier events M≥4479
Earlier events M≥5265
Compared since2025-01-05

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

Strongest earlier events

M7.62025-12-08 14:15:12 UTC79.5 km M7.62025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC80.6 km74 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.62025-12-08 14:15:09 UTC69.8 km84 km ENE of Misawa, Japan M7.52026-04-20 07:52:59 UTC96.0 kmOff east coast of Honshu, Japan [Sea: Japan] M7.52025-12-08 14:15:10 UTC76.2 kmHokkaido, Japan Region

Stats (last 24h)

Global (24h)
652
Country (24h)
—
—
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