A shallow and significant MAG-5.1 earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea 100 kilometer from Yokosuka, Japan in the late afternoon of Monday May 22nd, 2023.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 44 kilometers (27 mi) off the coast of Japan, 100 kilometer south-southwest of Yokosuka in Kanagawa. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 22, 2023 16:42 (Tokyo Time) - May 22, 2023 07:42 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 100 km SSW of Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. Coordinates 34°25'60"N 139°18'17"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 17 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.075 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Shimoda in Shizuoka, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 43 kilometer (27 mi) south-east of Shimoda.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Tokyo is located 144 km to the north-northeast. Yokohama is located 116 km to the north-northeast. Kawasaki is located 127 km to the north-northeast.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 43 km (27 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shimoda Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 63 km (39 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Itō Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 76 km (47 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Atami Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 80 km (50 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tateyama Chiba, Japan. |
| 83 km (52 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Yugawara Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 84 km (52 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Miura Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 84 km (52 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Numazu Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 84 km (52 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Mishima Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 92 km (57 mi) N from epicenter |
Odawara Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) N from epicenter |
Ninomiya Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Hayama Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 98 km (61 mi) N from epicenter |
Ōiso Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 99 km (62 mi) NW from epicenter |
Fuji Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 99 km (62 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Zushi Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 100 km (62 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Yokosuka Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 100 km (62 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kamakura Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 100 km (62 mi) N from epicenter |
Hiratsuka Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 101 km (63 mi) N from epicenter |
Chigasaki Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 102 km (63 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Yaizu Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 103 km (64 mi) N from epicenter |
Fujisawa Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 104 km (65 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shizuoka Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 105 km (65 mi) N from epicenter |
Hadano Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 106 km (66 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Fujieda Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 107 km (66 mi) N from epicenter |
Isehara Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 107 km (66 mi) NW from epicenter |
Fujinomiya Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 112 km (70 mi) N from epicenter |
Atsugi Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 116 km (72 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Yokohama Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 118 km (73 mi) N from epicenter |
Zama Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 119 km (74 mi) N from epicenter |
Minamirinkan Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 120 km (75 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kisarazu Chiba, Japan. |
| 124 km (77 mi) N from epicenter |
Machida Tokyo, Japan. |
| 127 km (79 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kawasaki Kanagawa, Japan. |
| 136 km (85 mi) N from epicenter |
Hachiōji Tokyo, Japan. |
| 138 km (86 mi) N from epicenter |
Chōfu Tokyo, Japan. |
| 138 km (86 mi) N from epicenter |
Hino Tokyo, Japan. |
| 140 km (87 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ichihara Chiba, Japan. |
| 142 km (88 mi) N from epicenter |
Kamirenjaku Tokyo, Japan. |
| 144 km (89 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Tokyo Tokyo, Japan. |
| 145 km (90 mi) N from epicenter |
Nishi-Tokyo-shi Tokyo, Japan. |
| 147 km (91 mi) W from epicenter |
Hamamatsu Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 149 km (93 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Chiba Chiba, Japan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kōfu Yamanashi, Japan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) N from epicenter |
Tokorozawa Saitama, Japan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Honchō Chiba, Japan. |
| 157 km (98 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kawaguchi Saitama, Japan. |
| 159 km (99 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Matsudo Chiba, Japan. |
| 162 km (101 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Sōka Saitama, Japan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) N from epicenter |
Kawagoe Saitama, Japan. |
| 167 km (104 mi) N from epicenter |
Saitama Saitama, Japan. |
| 168 km (104 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Koshigaya Saitama, Japan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kashiwa Chiba, Japan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) W from epicenter |
Toyohashi Aichi, Japan. |
| 181 km (112 mi) NW from epicenter |
Iida Nagano, Japan. |
| 182 km (113 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Ryūgasaki Ibaraki, Japan. |
| 220 km (137 mi) N from epicenter |
Maebashi Gunma, Japan. |
| 243 km (151 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Utsunomiya Tochigi, Japan. |
| 253 km (157 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Yokkaichi Mie, Japan. |
| 257 km (160 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Gifu-shi Gifu, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hikone Shiga, Japan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) N from epicenter |
Muikamachi Niigata, Japan. |
Shaking reported by 15 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 15 people have reported shaking in 12 places, all within Japan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan: 2 people.
- Zushi, Kanagawa, Japan: 2 people.
- Tokyo, Tokio, Japan: 2 people.
- Atsugi, Kanagawa, Japan: 1 person.
- Isehara, Kanagawa, Japan: 1 person.
- Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan: 1 person.
- Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan: 1 person.
- Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan: 1 person.
- Fujinomiya, Shizuoka, Japan: 1 person.
- Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, Japan: 1 person.
4 Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 4 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 3 hrs after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-4.9 was detected 13 km (8 mi) southwest of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.6
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
2 days earlier May 20, 2023 23:11 (Tokyo Time) | 98 km (61 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.0 |
6 hrs earlier May 22, 2023 10:53 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (8 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
May 22, 2023 16:42 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 3.6 |
45 mins later May 22, 2023 17:27 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (8 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
3 hrs later May 22, 2023 19:46 (Tokyo Time) | 13 km (8 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
12 hrs later May 23, 2023 04:31 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (8 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
1 day later May 24, 2023 01:31 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (8 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
Earthquakes can create aftershocks. These are generally at least 1 magnitude lower than any main shock, and as time passes the chance and strength of aftershocks decreases.
In only six percent of cases, significant earthquakes are followed by a larger main shock, making the current earthquake a foreshock. While the chance of this happening is not so large, it is adviced to maintain cautiousness in the hours and days following a major earthquake.
Read: How to Stay Safe during an Earthquake (cdc.gov).Earthquakes like this happen often in the region
Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since May 14th, 2023, when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit 111 km (69 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on July 27th, 2019.
In total, 91 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 or higher have been registered within 300km (186 mi) of this epicenter in the past 10 years. This comes down to an average of once every month.
Low tsunami risk
Based on early data it appears this earthquake was not strong enough (lower than MAG-6.5) to be likely to cause destructive tsunami's. However this earthquake appeared to have hit at a shallow depth under sea, so stay cautious and monitor advice from local authorities.
Tsunami Risk Factors
| Factor | Under Sea? | MAG-6.5 or stronger? | Shallow depth? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explanation | Almost all tsunami's are caused by earthquakes with their epicenter under sea or very near the sea. However stay cautious in coastal areas as earthquakes on land may cause landslides into sea, potentially still causing a local tsunami. | Under MAG 6.5: Very unlikely to cause a tsunami. MAG 6.5 to 7.5: Destructive tsunami's do occur, but are uncommon. Likely to observe small sea level changes. MAG 7.6+: Earthquakes with these magnitudes might produce destructive tsunami's. |
Most destructive tsunami's are caused by shallow earthquakes with a depth between 0 and 100km under the surface of the earth. Deeper tsunami's are unlikely to displace to ocean floor. |
| This Earthquake | This earthquake appears to have struck under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/07/23 18:17 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000kdu2
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20230522_0000075
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
