On Friday Morning a Significant M5.4 Earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 161km from Sapporo (Japan).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on May 22nd, 2025. Last updated June 17th, 2025.

In the North Pacific Ocean 161 kilometer from Sapporo, Japan, a significant M5.4 earthquake occurred in the early morning of Friday May 23rd, 2025. Roughly 5.7 million people may have felt this earthquake.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 34 kilometers (21 mi) off the coast of Japan, 161 kilometer south-east of Sapporo in Hokkaido. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 48 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	May 23, 2025 06:28 (Tokyo Time) - May 22, 2025 21:28 Universal Time.
Location:	161 km SE of Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Coordinates 41°54'53"N 142°31'55"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.4 Detected by 20 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.069 .
Depth:	48 km (30 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here.

Minimal impact predicted

Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities, and a 96% chance that the number of fatalities falls no higher than 10.

The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 65% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 96% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 5.7 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 5.7 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 158,900 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 5.2 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Japan .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Located 49 kilometer (30 mi) south-southeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Shizunai-furukawachō (Hokkaido, Japan) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Shizunai-furukawachō is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Sapporo is located 161 km to the northwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Hakodate is located 150 km to the west and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Asahikawa is located 207 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is IV. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 1 person

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in 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:

• Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan: 1 person.

Risk of aftershocks?

We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.

Aftershocks are usually at least 1 order of magnitude less strong than main shocks. The more time passes, the smaller the chance and likely strength of any potential aftershocks.

The chance that a significant earthquake like this one is followed by an even larger earthquake is not so large. On average, scientists estimate a 94% chance that a major earthquake will not be followed by an even larger one. It is still adviced to be aware of this risk

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 September 26th, 2024, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 233 km (145 mi) further east-northeast. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on January 14th, 2016.

In total, 46 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 3 months.

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

Sources

Last updated 17/06/25 00:38 (). As more information on this earthquake becomes available this article will be updated. This article is automatically composed based on data originating from multiple sources.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000q0yk
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250522_0000250
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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