Significant M5.3 Earthquake struck on Saturday Night in the North Pacific Ocean 127km from Hachinohe (Japan).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on January 16th, 2026. Last updated February 9th, 2026.

In the night of Saturday January 17th, 2026, a significant M5.3 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 127 kilometer from Hachinohe, Japan. Around 4.4 million people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 98 kilometers (61 mi) off the coast of Japan, 127 kilometer north-east of Hachinohe in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 37 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jan 17, 2026 04:34 (Tokyo Time) - Jan 16, 2026 19:34 Universal Time.
Location:	127 km NE of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 41°17'14"N 142°35'42"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.3 Detected by 22 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.066 .
Depth:	37 km (23 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	IV Light 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 4.4 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 4.4 million have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.

An estimated 680 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 3.3 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 . Mutsu in Aomori, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 115 kilometer (71 mi) east of Mutsu. Mutsu experienced an earthquake intensity (MMI Scale) of roughly III. That level implies weak shaking and probably no damage.

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Sapporo is located 223 km to the north-northwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Hachinohe is located 127 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage). Aomori is located 165 km to the west-southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably no damage).

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.

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 IV.

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:

• Morioka, Iwate, Japan: 1 person.

2 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. Just 3 mins after this main shock, an earthquake measuring MAG-5 was detected 41 km (25 mi) south-southeast of this earthquake.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

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 January 14th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 289 km (180 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.

In total, 90 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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

Sources

Last updated 09/02/26 01:08 (). 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 us7000rq7c
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260116_0000338
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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