In the North Pacific Ocean 73 kilometer from Mutsu, Japan, a significant M5.3 earthquake occurred in the night of Wednesday January 21st, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 67 kilometers (42 mi) off the coast of Japan, 73 kilometer east-northeast of Mutsu in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 66 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 21, 2026 02:51 (Tokyo Time) - Jan 20, 2026 17:51 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 73 km ENE of Mutsu, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 41°29'34"N 142°2'36"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 15 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.08 . |
| Depth: | 66 km (41 mi) A quite shallow depth. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Mutsu in Aomori, Japan. Mutsu is located 73 kilometer (45 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Sapporo is located 184 km to the north-northwest. Hakodate is located 113 km to the west-northwest. Aomori is located 133 km to the southwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 73 km (45 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 97 km (60 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 105 km (65 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 113 km (70 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 119 km (74 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 121 km (75 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Honchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 122 km (76 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 127 km (79 mi) NW from epicenter |
Muroran Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 131 km (81 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shiraoi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 132 km (82 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tomakomai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 133 km (83 mi) SW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 146 km (91 mi) NW from epicenter |
Date Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 151 km (94 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Chitose Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 159 km (99 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kitahiroshima Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 184 km (114 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 184 km (114 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ebetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 184 km (114 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Sapporo Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 185 km (115 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 191 km (119 mi) N from epicenter |
Iwamizawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 192 km (119 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Otofuke Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tōbetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 200 km (124 mi) SW from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 202 km (126 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ishikari Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 204 km (127 mi) N from epicenter |
Bibai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) S from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 207 km (129 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Otaru Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 208 km (129 mi) N from epicenter |
Shimo-furano Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 222 km (138 mi) SW from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 222 km (138 mi) N from epicenter |
Sunagawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) N from epicenter |
Takikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 246 km (153 mi) S from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 246 km (153 mi) N from epicenter |
Fukagawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) S from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 253 km (157 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) N from epicenter |
Asahikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 256 km (159 mi) SW from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) S from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 297 km (185 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Kitami Hokkaido, Japan. |
Aftershocks detected
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 4 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3.5
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
4 days earlier Jan 19, 2026 02:37 (Tokyo Time) | 35 km (22 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 5.3 |
Jan 22, 2026 23:31 (Tokyo Time) | - |
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.
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
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 January 16th, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 54 km (34 mi) further east-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.
In total, 85 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
| 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 under the sea. | Not this earthquake. This earthquake had a magnitude of 5.3. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 66 km (41 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 26/01/26 17:38 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rqwc
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260120_0000271
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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