5.6

M5.6 Earthquake 74 km S of Yonakuni, Japan — September 30, 2026

2026-09-30 05:00:24 UTC (1 hour ago) · approx. 1:00 PM UTC+8 local

Felt by 7 people across nearby locations.

MagnitudeM5.6(mww)
Time05:00 UTC≈ 1:00 PM UTC+8
Depth10.8 kmshallow crustal
Coordinates23.803°, 122.915°
Felt by7DYFI responses· max MMI 3.7
Status✓ Reviewed by USGS· green PAGER
green Alert— no significant casualties or damage expected

On September 30, 2026 at 05:00 UTC, a magnitude 5.6 shallow crustal earthquake struck 74 km S of Yonakuni, Japan, at a depth of 10.8 km and coordinates 23.8027°, 122.9149°. The earthquake was reported felt by 7 peopleacross nearby locations, with a maximum shaking intensity of Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) 3.7 (light). The USGS PAGER system issued a green alert level for this event, indicating no significant casualties or damage expected. This earthquake was detected by 94 seismic stations with excellent location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 485, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 4 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 4.4 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

Map showing earthquake epicenter at 23.80°, 122.91°

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.

USGS ShakeMap intensity contours for the M5.6 earthquake near 74 km S of Yonakuni, Japan

Source: U.S. Geological Survey ShakeMap. View interactive ShakeMap on USGS

Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking

Aggregated felt-report intensity from 7 citizen responses to the USGS Did You Feel It? system. Each colored zone represents the average MMI from reports in that area.

USGS DYFI community-reported intensity map for the M5.6 earthquake near 74 km S of Yonakuni, Japan

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)DescriptionPopulation exposed
MMI 3weak2,384
MMI 4light1,639

Earthquake Details

Magnitude
5.6 mww
Depth
10.8 km
shallow crustal
Location
23.8027°N
122.9149°E
Felt Reports
7
DYFI responses
Intensity (MMI)
3.7
light
Community Intensity
4.1
CDI from reports

Technical Information

Event ID
us6000tyhk
Event Type
earthquake
Status
✓ Reviewed
Significance
485
Stations Used
94
Azimuthal Gap
46.0°
Min Station Distance
0.667°
RMS Residual
1.07 sec
Last Updated
2026-09-30 05:39:36 UTC

Common Questions

How strong was the magnitude 5.6 earthquake near Yonakuni, Japan?

The magnitude 5.6 earthquake that struck 74 km S of Yonakuni, Japan on September 30, 2026 at 05:00 UTC had a depth of 10.8 km. It was felt by 7 people with maximum shaking intensity of MMI 3.7 (light). For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.

Where did the earthquake occur?

The earthquake epicenter was located at 23.8027°, 122.9149°, which is 74 km S of Yonakuni, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.

Were there aftershocks?

Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.6 earthquakes can continue for days to weeks 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 5.6 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.

Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us6000tyhk). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.

Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2026, September 30, 2026). M5.6 Earthquake 74 km S of Yonakuni, Japan — September 30, 2026. Retrieved September 30, 2026 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us6000tyhk/