A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 136 kilometer from Hachinohe, Japan in the evening of Wednesday January 28th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 127 kilometers (79 mi) off the coast of Japan, 136 kilometer east-southeast of Hachinohe in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 13 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Jan 28, 2026 19:45 (Tokyo Time) - Jan 28, 2026 10:45 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 136 km ESE of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 40°13'35"N 143°3'54"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 12 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.089 . |
| Depth: | 13 km (8 mi) A very 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 . Miyako in Iwate, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 116 kilometer (72 mi) north-east of Miyako.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Sendai is located 289 km to the southwest. Hachinohe is located 136 km to the west-northwest. Morioka is located 173 km to the west-southwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 116 km (72 mi) SW from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 127 km (79 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 136 km (85 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 147 km (91 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 151 km (94 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 173 km (107 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 173 km (107 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 187 km (116 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 191 km (119 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 193 km (120 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 195 km (121 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 202 km (126 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 208 km (129 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 215 km (134 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 216 km (134 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 220 km (137 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 223 km (139 mi) W from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) W from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 231 km (144 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) WNW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 241 km (150 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 249 km (155 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 250 km (155 mi) SW from epicenter |
Wakuya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 252 km (157 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kogota Miyagi, Japan. |
| 256 km (159 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamoto Miyagi, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) W from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) WSW from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter |
Furukawa Miyagi, Japan. |
| 260 km (162 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 266 km (165 mi) W from epicenter |
Tennō Akita, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) SW from epicenter |
Matsushima Miyagi, Japan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) NW from epicenter |
Honchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 275 km (171 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiogama Miyagi, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tomiya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter |
Rifu Miyagi, Japan. |
| 288 km (179 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shinjō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 289 km (180 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sendai Miyagi, Japan. |
| 290 km (180 mi) NW from epicenter |
Muroran Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SW from epicenter |
Obanazawa Yamagata, Japan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Tomakomai Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) NNW from epicenter |
Shiraoi Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) N from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
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 22nd, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 116 km (72 mi) further north-northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.
In total, 141 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.1 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 26 days.
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 5.1. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 13 km (8 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/01/26 07:08 (). This article is automatically generated based on available data. We keep checking multiple sources for additional information. This article gets updated as new details on this earthquake become available.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000s4z6
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260128_0000198
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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