M4.7 Earthquake 7 km NNE of Tomobe, Japan — March 24, 2023
2023-03-24 07:25:34 UTC (2023-03-24) · approx. 4:25 PM UTC+9 local
Felt by 38 people across nearby locations.
On March 24, 2023 at 07:25 UTC, a magnitude 4.7 intermediate depth earthquake struck 7 km NNE of Tomobe, Japan, at a depth of 83.7 km and coordinates 36.4058°, 140.3434°. This earthquake was detected by 87 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 356, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.7 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 169 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 1.1 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
Did You Feel It? — community-reported shaking
Aggregated felt-report intensity from 38 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
Earthquake Details
140.3434°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 4.7 earthquake near Tomobe, Japan?
The magnitude 4.7 earthquake that struck 7 km NNE of Tomobe, Japan on March 24, 2023 at 07:25 UTC had a depth of 83.7 km. For context, this was a light earthquake commonly felt near the epicenter.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 36.4058°, 140.3434°, which is 7 km NNE of Tomobe, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 4.7 earthquakes can continue for several days 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 4.7 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000jmct). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2023, March 24, 2023). M4.7 Earthquake 7 km NNE of Tomobe, Japan — March 24, 2023. Retrieved September 21, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000jmct/