In the late afternoon of Monday May 26th, 2025, a significant MAG-5.1 earthquake hit under land 70 kilometer from Obihiro in Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
The earthquake struck on land in Japan, 70 kilometer (43 mi) south of Obihiro in Hokkaido. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 61 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 26, 2025 17:47 (Tokyo Time) - May 26, 2025 08:47 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 70 km south of Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan. Coordinates 42°17'11"N 143°10'10"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 532 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.025 . |
| Depth: | 61 km (38 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (13 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually not strong enough to cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Located 66 kilometer (41 mi) east of the epicenter of this earthquake, Shizunai-furukawachō (Hokkaido, Japan) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Sapporo is located 172 km to the west-northwest. Obihiro is located 70 km to the north. Asahikawa is located 178 km to the north-northwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 66 km (41 mi) W from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 70 km (43 mi) N from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 78 km (48 mi) N from epicenter |
Otofuke Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 125 km (78 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 134 km (83 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Tomakomai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 135 km (84 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shimo-furano Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 138 km (86 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Chitose Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 152 km (94 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kitahiroshima Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 152 km (94 mi) W from epicenter |
Shiraoi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) NW from epicenter |
Iwamizawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 157 km (98 mi) NW from epicenter |
Bibai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 158 km (98 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ashibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 161 km (100 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ebetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 169 km (105 mi) NW from epicenter |
Sunagawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tōbetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 172 km (107 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Sapporo Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 174 km (108 mi) NW from epicenter |
Takikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Asahikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 179 km (111 mi) W from epicenter |
Muroran Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 179 km (111 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kitami Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 182 km (113 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ishikari Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 183 km (114 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Fukagawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 187 km (116 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Motomachi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) W from epicenter |
Date Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 196 km (122 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 203 km (126 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Otaru Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 203 km (126 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nakashibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 209 km (130 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 209 km (130 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Honchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Abashiri Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 215 km (134 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Minamishibetsuchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Yoichi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NW from epicenter |
Rumoi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NE from epicenter |
Shibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 228 km (142 mi) ENE from epicenter |
Nemuro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 230 km (143 mi) N from epicenter |
Mombetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) SW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Nayoro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 243 km (151 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 260 km (162 mi) SW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 284 km (176 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
Shaking reported by 4 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 4 people have reported shaking in 2 places 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: 3 people.
- Obihiro, Hokkaido, Japan: 1 person.
Aftershocks detected
After this earthquake struck, 1 smaller aftershock occurred. At a distance of 19 km (12 mi) west of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 6 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 4.5
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
May 26, 2025 17:47 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
6 hrs later May 26, 2025 23:30 (Tokyo Time) | 19 km (12 mi) W 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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 22nd, 2025, when a 5.4 magnitude earthquake hit 67 km (42 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck on January 14th, 2016.
In total, 90 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.
Tsunami very unlikely
While MAG-6.5+ earthquakes may cause tsunami's, it appears that the epicenter of this earthquake hit under land. In addition, the reported depth is deeper than 100km, making the risk of a tsunami even less likely. However always 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 on land near a coastal area (13 km from 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 61 km (38 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 17/06/25 10:58 (). 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 us7000q1ib
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20250526_0000092
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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