Shallow M5.7 Earthquake hit near Matsue in Japan on Tuesday Morning.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on January 6th, 2026. Last updated January 8th, 2026.

In the morning of Tuesday January 6th, 2026, a shallow and significant MAG-5.7 earthquake hit under land 18 kilometer from Matsue in Japan. Around 16 million people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

The earthquake struck on land in Japan, 18 kilometer (11 mi) south 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:	18 km south of Matsue, Shimane, Japan. Coordinates 35°19'13"N 133°4'32"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:	VII Very Strong On the Modified Mercalli Scale.
Tsunami Risk:	Tsunami very unlikely While this was a shallow earthquake in a coastal area, it appears to have occurred under land (23 km from the sea) with a magnitude that is usually 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 63% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact, and a 95% chance that the economic impact of this earthquake falls no higher than 10 million USD.

Roughly 16 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 16 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 VII, which corresponds with very strong shaking and likely moderate damage. Roughly 19,870 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 11 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected.

People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 16 million people were exposed to shaking in Japan , with level VII (very strong shaking, likely moderate damage) as the highest recorded.

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Located 18 kilometer (11 mi) south of the epicenter of this earthquake, Matsue (Shimane, Japan) is the nearest significant population center. The intensity of shaking and damage in Matsue is estimated to be around level VI on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (strong shaking, probably light damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Osaka is located 232 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 18 km to the north and experienced an intensity of VI (strong shaking, probably light damage).

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 intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured 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 37 people in 2 countries

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 37 people have reported shaking in 25 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: 5 people.
• Iwakuni, Yamaguchi, Japan: 4 people.
• Matsue, Shimane, Japan: 3 people.
• Sakaiminato, Tottori, Japan: 3 people.
• Kobe, Hyogo, Japan: 2 people.
• Yasugi, Shimane, Japan: 1 person.
• Toyooka, Hyōgo, Japan: 1 person.
• Pusan, Pusan, Korea (South): 1 person.
• Tokyo, Tokio, Japan: 1 person.
• Sango, Nara, Japan: 1 person.

27 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 27 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 4 km (2.5 mi) north-east of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 19 mins later. It measured a magnitude of 5

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?

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.

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 239 km (149 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 08/01/26 04:58 (). 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 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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