M6.8 Earthquake 15 km SE of Miyazaki, Japan — January 13, 2025
2025-01-13 12:19:32 UTC (2025-01-13) · approx. 9:19 PM UTC+9 local
Felt by 41 people across nearby locations. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 6.3 (very strong).
On January 13, 2025 at 12:19 UTC, a magnitude 6.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck 15 km SE of Miyazaki, Japan, at a depth of 39.0 km and coordinates 31.8326°, 131.5525°. The earthquake was reported felt by 41 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 6.3 (very strong). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 151 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 742, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Miyazaki (population 311,203).
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 239 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 30 km — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.
The epicenter is located in Japan, a region characterized by the intersection of four tectonic plates — Pacific, Philippine Sea, Eurasian, and North American — creating multiple subduction zones. The nearest mapped fault system is the Japan Trench. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Learn more: Magnitude scale · Aftershock sequences
Nearest Populated Places
ShakeMap — predicted shaking intensity
Modeled ground-motion intensity contoured on the Modified Mercalli scale (MMI). Computed by the USGS from the moment-tensor solution and regional ground-motion prediction equations.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 41 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey Did You Feel It?. View on USGS · submit your own report
Population exposure (USGS PAGER)
Estimated population that experienced each level of shaking. Based on the USGS PAGER rapid impact assessment, which combines ShakeMap output with global population grids.
| Shaking intensity (MMI) | Description | Population exposed |
|---|---|---|
| MMI 3 | weak | 421,815 |
| MMI 4 | light | 8,066,361 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 2,062,210 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 635,091 |
Earthquake Details
131.5525°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.8 earthquake near Miyazaki, Japan?
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck 15 km SE of Miyazaki, Japan on January 13, 2025 at 12:19 UTC had a depth of 39.0 km. It was felt by 41 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 6.3 (very strong). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 31.8326°, 131.5525°, which is 15 km SE of Miyazaki, Japan. The nearest populated place is Miyazaki (population 311,203). View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 6.8 earthquakes can continue for weeks to months and gradually diminish over time.
Has Japan had earthquakes this big before?
The largest recorded earthquake in Japan was the M9.1 Tohoku earthquake of March 11, 2011. Today's magnitude 6.8 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000pjny). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, January 13, 2025). M6.8 Earthquake 15 km SE of Miyazaki, Japan — January 13, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000pjny/