In the North Pacific Ocean 66 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, 60 kilometers (37 mi) off the coast of Japan, 66 kilometer east-northeast of Mutsu in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 62 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: | 66 km ENE of Mutsu, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 41°25'23"N 141°59'14"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: | 62 km (39 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 66 kilometer (41 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Sapporo is located 190 km to the north-northwest. Hakodate is located 111 km to the west-northwest. Aomori is located 125 km to the west-southwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 66 km (41 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 96 km (60 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 106 km (66 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 110 km (68 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 120 km (75 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Honchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 120 km (75 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 125 km (78 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 129 km (80 mi) NW from epicenter |
Muroran Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 136 km (85 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shiraoi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 139 km (86 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tomakomai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 141 km (88 mi) SW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 146 km (91 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 147 km (91 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 149 km (93 mi) NW from epicenter |
Date Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 151 km (94 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 157 km (98 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 158 km (98 mi) N from epicenter |
Chitose Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 176 km (109 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kitahiroshima Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 176 km (109 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Sapporo Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 191 km (119 mi) N from epicenter |
Ebetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 191 km (119 mi) SW from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 194 km (121 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 198 km (123 mi) S from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 198 km (123 mi) N from epicenter |
Iwamizawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 201 km (125 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Otofuke Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 203 km (126 mi) N from epicenter |
Tōbetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 204 km (127 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 209 km (130 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ishikari Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 212 km (132 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Otaru Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 212 km (132 mi) N from epicenter |
Bibai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) SW from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) N from epicenter |
Shimo-furano Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) S from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) N from epicenter |
Takikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 239 km (149 mi) S from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 240 km (149 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tennō Akita, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SW from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 249 km (155 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) N from epicenter |
Fukagawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) S from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) N from epicenter |
Asahikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 264 km (164 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 265 km (165 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 288 km (179 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
2 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 2 smaller aftershocks were detected. A 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 45 km (28 mi) south-east of this earthquake.
Before this earthquake struck, 1 smaller foreshock occurred. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 2 days earlier. It measured a magnitude of 3.5
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.5 |
2 days earlier Jan 19, 2026 02:37 (Tokyo Time) | 59 km (37 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.3 |
Jan 21, 2026 02:51 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.3 |
2 days later Jan 22, 2026 23:31 (Tokyo Time) | 45 km (28 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.1 |
2 days later Jan 23, 2026 14:01 (Tokyo Time) | 87 km (54 mi) ESE from Main Shock. |
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 53 km (33 mi) further east-southeast. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.
In total, 86 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 62 km (39 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/02/26 01:48 (). 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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