Region · live catalogue
Earthquakes in Japan
In the last 30 days, 150 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater were recorded in Japan; the largest was a magnitude 6.1 earthquake 148 km ESE of Choshi, Chiba, Japan on 6 Nov 2026.
Data: JMA, USGS, GFZ, INGV · updated · sources and licences
- 24 hours
- 6
- all magnitudes
- 7 days
- 44
- M2.5+
- 30 days
- 150
- M2.5+
Seismic record
In Japan, the USGS catalogue lists 1,081 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more since 1900 and 2,788 of magnitude 5 or more since 2000, about 104 a year. In the 12 months to 13 Oct 2026 it recorded 1,164 of magnitude 2.5 or more, 1,158 of them magnitude 4 or more.
The largest since 1900: M9.1 on 11 Mar 2011, 82 km ESE of Onagawa Chō, Miyagi, Japan. The most recent of magnitude 5 or more: M5.1 on 1 Oct 2026, 104 km ENE of Miyako, Iwate, Japan.
Counts from the USGS ComCat catalogue (public domain), last compiled 13 Oct 2026. Outside the United States, ComCat is complete from about magnitude 4.5, so smaller local earthquakes may be missing from these counts but appear in the lists below. How these pages are built
Last 24 hours
| Mag | Location | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 3.6Mj | 13 km E of Kitaibaraki, Ibaraki, Japan | |
| 3.9Mj | 5 km ESE of Asahi, Chiba, Japan2 agencies | |
| 2.1Mj | 4 km NE of Uto, Kumamoto, Japan | |
| 2.0Mj | Near Beppu, Oita, Japan | |
| 2.6Mj | 110 km SW of Miyanoura, Kagoshima, Japan | |
| 4.7Mj | Off East Coast of Honshu, Japan3 agencies |
Earlier this week, magnitude 2.5 and above
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Largest in the last 30 days
| Mag | Location | Time (UTC) |
|---|---|---|
| 6.1Mj | 148 km ESE of Choshi, Chiba, Japan4 agencies | |
| 6.1Mj | 74 km SSE of Shima, Mie, Japan4 agencies | |
| 5.9Mj | 134 km ENE of Choshi, Chiba, Japan | |
| 5.7mww | 107 km ENE of Choshi, Chiba, Japan3 agencies | |
| 5.6Mj | 87 km NE of Choshi, Chiba, Japan | |
| 5.5mww | 9 km E of Shinshiro, Aichi, Japan3 agencies | |
| 5.5mww | 75 km NE of Choshi, Chiba, Japan3 agencies | |
| 5.5mww | Near Yōkaichiba, Chiba, Japan2 agencies | |
| 5.3Mj | 47 km ESE of Miyazaki, Japan3 agencies | |
| 5.1mb | 74 km ENE of Kuji, Iwate, Japan2 agencies |
Where they occurred
Largest since 1900
Magnitude 6 and above in Japan.
Loading the historical catalogue…
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Questions
How many earthquakes happen in Japan?
In the last 30 days, 150 earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater were recorded in Japan, 44 of them in the last 7 days. In the last 24 hours, 6 earthquakes of any magnitude were recorded. Most small earthquakes are not felt.
What was the largest recent earthquake in Japan?
The largest in the last 30 days was a magnitude 6.1 earthquake 148 km ESE of Choshi, Chiba, Japan on 6 Nov 2026, at a depth of 10 km.
What is the largest earthquake recorded in Japan since 1900?
According to the USGS catalogue, the largest was a magnitude 9.1 earthquake on 11 Mar 2011 (2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, Japan). Magnitudes of early 20th-century earthquakes are less certain than modern ones.
How deep are earthquakes in Japan?
87% of the magnitude 2.5+ earthquakes recorded in Japan in the last 30 days were shallower than 70 km. Shallow earthquakes generally cause stronger shaking at the surface than deep ones of the same magnitude.
Where can I get official earthquake information for Japan?
For official information, warnings and safety advice, follow Japan Meteorological Agency (https://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html) and your local civil protection authority. This site compiles agency reports and is not a warning service.
Can earthquakes be predicted?
No. Scientists can estimate how likely strong shaking is in a region over years or decades, but no method predicts the time, place and size of a specific earthquake. Aftershocks are expected after large earthquakes and become less frequent over time.