M4.5 Earthquake 3 km E of Tako, Japan — November 12, 2026

On November 12, 2026 at 13:27 UTC, a magnitude 4.5 intermediate depth earthquake struck 3 km E of Tako, Japan, at a depth of 73.4 km and coordinates 35.7319°, 140.5102°. This earthquake was detected by 25 seismic stations with good location accuracy and was assigned a USGS significance rating of 312, placing it among routine seismic activity.

Physical scale: An earthquake of magnitude 4.5 releases seismic energy equivalent to roughly 85 metric tons of TNT. Empirical fault-scaling laws (Wells & Coppersmith, 1994) estimate the subsurface rupture length at approximately 767 m — a useful intuition for the size of the slip patch on the fault.

This earthquake is part of an ongoing aftershock sequence following the magnitude 5.5 mainshock that occurred 15 days ago 2 km E of Yōkaichiba, Japan. Since the mainshock, the USGS has recorded 3 aftershocks in this area. Aftershock activity is expected to continue for days to weeks as stresses on surrounding faults redistribute.

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