In the evening of Thursday March 5th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.2 earthquake hit in the East China Sea 53 kilometer from Hirara, Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the East China Sea, 46 kilometers (29 mi) off the coast of Japan, 53 kilometer northwest of Hirara in Okinawa. The center of this earthquake had a very shallow depth of 10 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Mar 5, 2026 19:48 (Tokyo Time) - Mar 5, 2026 10:48 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 53 km NW of Hirara, Okinawa, Japan. Coordinates 25°11'56"N 124°59'59"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 154 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.046 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 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 . Located 53 kilometer (33 mi) northwest of the epicenter of this earthquake, Hirara (Okinawa, Japan) is the nearest significant population center.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 53 km (33 mi) SE from epicenter |
Hirara Okinawa, Japan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishigaki Okinawa, Japan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) E from epicenter |
Itoman Okinawa, Japan. |
| 290 km (180 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tomigusuku Okinawa, Japan. |
| 292 km (181 mi) NE from epicenter |
Naha Okinawa, Japan. |
| 298 km (185 mi) NE from epicenter |
Yonabaru Okinawa, Japan. |
4 Aftershocks detected
This main shock was followed by 4 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 18 km (11 mi) south-east of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 4 days later. It measured a magnitude of 4.8
This main shock was prefaced by 17 smaller foreshocks. Roughly 14 hrs before this earthquake, a foreshock measuring MAG-5.6 was detected nearby this earthquake.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 5.1 |
3 days earlier Feb 28, 2026 10:49 (Tokyo Time) | 10 km (6 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.3 |
3 days earlier Feb 28, 2026 14:53 (Tokyo Time) | 16 km (10 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
3 days earlier Feb 28, 2026 20:18 (Tokyo Time) | 34 km (21 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.1 |
2 days earlier Feb 28, 2026 21:56 (Tokyo Time) | 5 km (3 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
2 days earlier Mar 1, 2026 06:39 (Tokyo Time) | 17 km (11 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.8 |
2 days earlier Mar 1, 2026 06:41 (Tokyo Time) | 21 km (13 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
2 days earlier Mar 1, 2026 13:54 (Tokyo Time) | 2.5 km (1.6 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.0 |
19 hrs earlier Mar 2, 2026 13:56 (Tokyo Time) | 2.5 km (1.6 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
15 hrs earlier Mar 2, 2026 17:47 (Tokyo Time) | 14 km (9 mi) NW from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.7 |
15 hrs earlier Mar 2, 2026 18:23 (Tokyo Time) | 20 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 5.6 |
14 hrs earlier Mar 2, 2026 19:39 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (7 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
13 hrs earlier Mar 2, 2026 20:12 (Tokyo Time) | 39 km (24 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.6 |
13 hrs earlier Mar 2, 2026 20:30 (Tokyo Time) | 19 km (12 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
13 hrs earlier Mar 2, 2026 20:41 (Tokyo Time) | 22 km (14 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.5 |
8 hrs earlier Mar 3, 2026 00:59 (Tokyo Time) | 7 km (5 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.9 |
7 hrs earlier Mar 3, 2026 02:20 (Tokyo Time) | 12 km (8 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.5 |
3 hrs earlier Mar 3, 2026 05:57 (Tokyo Time) | 5 km (2.9 mi) N from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock | M 5.0 |
Mar 3, 2026 09:11 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
3 days later Mar 6, 2026 01:37 (Tokyo Time) | 24 km (15 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
3 days later Mar 6, 2026 07:53 (Tokyo Time) | 60 km (37 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
4 days later Mar 7, 2026 07:39 (Tokyo Time) | 18 km (11 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
4 days later Mar 7, 2026 16:33 (Tokyo Time) | 8 km (5 mi) E 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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since March 2nd, 2026, when a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit 2.5 km (1.6 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on November 10th, 2021.
In total, 47 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.2 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 3 months.
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 5.2. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami. |
This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 31/03/26 14:38 (). 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 us7000s278
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260305_0000162
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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