Just before midnight of Thursday January 22nd, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.3 aftershock hit in the North Pacific Ocean 102 kilometer from Hachinohe, Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 104 kilometers (65 mi) off the coast of Japan, 102 kilometer north-east of Hachinohe in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 56 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 22, 2026 23:31 (Tokyo Time) - Jan 22, 2026 14:31 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 102 km NE of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 41°8'18"N 142°22'11"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.3 Detected by 9 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.103 . |
| Depth: | 56 km (35 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 . Located 96 kilometer (60 mi) east-northeast of the epicenter of this earthquake, Misawa (Aomori, Japan) is the nearest significant population center.
Major cities near this earthquake: Sapporo is located 230 km to the north-northwest. Hachinohe is located 102 km to the southwest. Aomori is located 142 km to the west-southwest.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 96 km (60 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 98 km (61 mi) W from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 102 km (63 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 133 km (83 mi) N from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 142 km (88 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 157 km (98 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 160 km (99 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 162 km (101 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 163 km (101 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Honchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 170 km (106 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) SW from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 171 km (106 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 174 km (108 mi) NW from epicenter |
Muroran Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shiraoi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tomakomai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 181 km (112 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 189 km (117 mi) S from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 193 km (120 mi) NW from epicenter |
Date Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 196 km (122 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Chitose Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 199 km (124 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 209 km (130 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 211 km (131 mi) S from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 215 km (134 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 215 km (134 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Kitahiroshima Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) NNE from epicenter |
Otofuke Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 222 km (138 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 223 km (139 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ebetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 230 km (143 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Sapporo Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 235 km (146 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Iwamizawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 236 km (147 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 245 km (152 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tennō Akita, Japan. |
| 246 km (153 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 246 km (153 mi) N from epicenter |
Shimo-furano Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) N from epicenter |
Bibai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) SW from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Ishikari Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Otaru Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 263 km (163 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SSW from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Takikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) N from epicenter |
Asahikawa Hokkaido, Japan. |
This is likely an aftershock
Approximately 2 days before this earthquake hit, a larger 5.3 magnitude earthquake struck 45 km (28 mi) northwest of this one. For that reason, we classify the Mag. 5.3 earthquake as an aftershock.
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 | M 5.3 |
Jan 21, 2026 02:51 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
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?
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.
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.
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. In total, 91 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 56 km (35 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 16/02/26 00:58 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000rrc5
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260122_0000261
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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