On Tuesday Morning a Shallow M5.7 Earthquake struck near Matsue in Japan.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on January 6th, 2026. Last updated February 18th, 2026.

Under land 20 kilometer from Matsue in Japan, a shallow and significant M5.7 earthquake occurred in the morning of Tuesday January 6th, 2026. Around 16 million people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Japan, 20 kilometer (12 mi) south-southeast of Matsue in Shimane. 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:	Jan 6, 2026 10:18 (Tokyo Time) - Jan 6, 2026 01:18 Universal Time.
Location:	20 km SSE of Matsue, Shimane, Japan. Coordinates 35°18'15"N 133°5'43"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.7 Detected by 46 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.046 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VIII Severe On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake, it appears to have occurred under land with a magnitude not strong enough to 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 79% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 98% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 16 million people exposed to shaking

The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 16 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

Very strong shaking and likely moderate damage may have been experienced by an estimated 8,290 people. At VII, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 10 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. In Japan , around 16 million people, with impact levels up to VII (very strong shaking, likely moderate damage).

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Located 19 kilometer (12 mi) southwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Yasugichō (Shimane, Japan) is the nearest significant population center. Yasugichō experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly VI. That level implies strong shaking and probably light damage.

Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Osaka is located 229 km to the east-southeast (intensity unknown, possibly low). Hiroshima is located 117 km to the south-southwest and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Matsue is located 20 km to the north-northwest and experienced an intensity of VI (strong shaking, probably light damage).

The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake. Where available, the estimated intensity on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale in each place is included. Places where this information is omitted likely experienced little impact.

Overview of nearby places

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is VII.

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 41 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 41 people have reported shaking in 26 places in 2 countries (Japan, Korea (South)).We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.

Places with most reports:

• Ōsaka, Ōsaka, Japan: 6 people.
• Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan: 4 people.
• Matsue, Shimane, Japan: 3 people.
• Sakaiminato, Tottori, Japan: 3 people.
• Kobe, Hyogo, Japan: 2 people.
• Kyōto, Kyōto, Japan: 2 people.
• Toyooka, Hyōgo, Japan: 2 people.
• Yasugi, Shimane, Japan: 1 person.
• Pusan, Pusan, Korea (South): 1 person.
• Tokyo, Tokio, Japan: 1 person.

28 Aftershocks detected

After this earthquake struck, 28 smaller aftershocks occurred. Just 19 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5 was detected 3 km (2.1 mi) west-southwest of this earthquake.

Before this earthquake struck, 2 smaller foreshocks occurred. A 3.3 magnitude earthquake hit 16 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.

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.

This is an unusually powerful earthquake

Earthquakes of this strength are not so common in the region, but it's not the first time. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since April 17th, 2024, when a 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit 238 km (148 mi) further south-southwest. That was also the heaviest earthquake to hit the region in the past 10 years.

In total, 2 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.7 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 5 years.

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

Sources

Last updated 18/02/26 03:08 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rmqv
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260106_0000017
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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