M5.3 Earthquake 76 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan — May 12, 2025
2025-05-12 14:54:29 UTC (2025-05-12) · approx. 11:54 PM UTC+9 local
Felt by 2 people across nearby locations.
On May 12, 2025 at 14:54 UTC, a magnitude 5.3 shallow crustal earthquake struck 76 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan, at a depth of 60.7 km and coordinates 41.5868°, 142.0431°. This earthquake was detected by 123 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 433, placing it among routine seismic activity.
Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 1 kilotons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 2.7 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 2 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
142.0431°E
Technical Information
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Common Questions
How strong was the magnitude 5.3 earthquake near Mutsu, Japan?
The magnitude 5.3 earthquake that struck 76 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan on May 12, 2025 at 14:54 UTC had a depth of 60.7 km. For context, this was a moderate earthquake that could be widely felt.
Where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake epicenter was located at 41.5868°, 142.0431°, which is 76 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan. View all earthquakes in Japan.
Were there aftershocks?
Aftershock activity is monitored continuously by the USGS. Aftershock sequences from magnitude 5.3 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 5.3 event is significantly smaller than that historical record.
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Location
Authoritative source: USGS event page (event ID: us7000pytm). All scientific values on this page are sourced verbatim from the USGS feed.
Cite this page: EarthquakeTracker.org. (2025, May 12, 2025). M5.3 Earthquake 76 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan — May 12, 2025. Retrieved July 24, 2025 from https://www.earthquaketracker.org/earthquakes/event/us7000pytm/