M6.8 Earthquake in the The 2026 Kumamoto Region, Japan Earthquake — July 28, 2026
2026-07-28 07:27:14 UTC (2026-07-28) · approx. 4:27 PM UTC+9 local
Felt by 102 people across surrounding communities. Maximum shaking intensity MMI 9.2 (violent).
On July 28, 2026 at 07:27 UTC, a magnitude 6.8 shallow crustal earthquake struck in the The 2026 Kumamoto Region, Japan Earthquake, at a depth of 8.0 km and coordinates 32.6177°, 130.6601°. The earthquake was reported felt by 102 peopleacross surrounding communities, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 9.2 (violent). The USGS PAGER system issued a red alert level for this event, indicating widespread severe impact likely. This earthquake was detected by 122 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 723, making it a moderate-impact event. The nearest populated place is Honmachi (population 122,134).
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
What the Shaking Felt Like
At MMI 9.2 (violent), people in the most strongly affected areas would have experienced: Severe shaking causing considerable damage. Buildings may shift off foundations. Walls crack and may partially collapse. Heavy furniture overturned.
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 102 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 | 2,181,849 |
| MMI 4 | light | 9,684,853 |
| MMI 5 | moderate | 3,429,187 |
| MMI 6 | strong | 631,808 |
| MMI 7 | very strong | 374,949 |
| MMI 8 | severe | 623,105 |
| MMI 9 | violent | 233,433 |
Earthquake Details
130.6601°E
Technical Information
Nearby Earthquakes (Last 7 Days)
Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 6.8 earthquake in the The 2026 Kumamoto Region, Japan Earthquake?
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck in the The 2026 Kumamoto Region, Japan Earthquake on July 28, 2026 at 07:27 UTC had a depth of 8.0 km. It was felt by 102 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 9.2 (violent). For context, this was a strong earthquake capable of causing significant damage.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 32.6177°, 130.6601°, which is in the The 2026 Kumamoto Region, Japan Earthquake. The nearest populated place is Honmachi (population 122,134). 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.
Actions
Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tgb9). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, July 28, 2026). M6.8 Earthquake in the The 2026 Kumamoto Region, Japan Earthquake — July 28, 2026. Retrieved October 2, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tgb9/