In the late afternoon of Sunday March 29th, 2026, a shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit in the East China Sea 187 kilometer from Okinawa, Japan.
Felt the earthquake? Share this article: 
Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the East China Sea, 88 kilometers (55 mi) off the coast of Japan, 187 kilometer north of 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 29, 2026 16:07 (Tokyo Time) - Mar 29, 2026 07:07 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 187 km north of Okinawa, Japan. Coordinates 27°59'33"N 128°6'12"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 20 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.069 . |
| 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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Naze in Kagoshima, Japan. Naze is located 142 kilometer (88 mi) west of the epicenter.
The table below provides an overview of all places in proximity of today's earthquake.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 142 km (88 mi) E from epicenter |
Naze Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 154 km (96 mi) S from epicenter |
Nago Okinawa, Japan. |
| 177 km (110 mi) S from epicenter |
Ishikawa Okinawa, Japan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) S from epicenter |
Yomitan Okinawa, Japan. |
| 183 km (114 mi) S from epicenter |
Gushikawa Okinawa, Japan. |
| 186 km (116 mi) S from epicenter |
Katsuren-haebaru Okinawa, Japan. |
| 187 km (116 mi) S from epicenter |
Okinawa Okinawa, Japan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) S from epicenter |
Chatan Okinawa, Japan. |
| 195 km (121 mi) S from epicenter |
Ginowan Okinawa, Japan. |
| 202 km (126 mi) S from epicenter |
Naha Okinawa, Japan. |
| 202 km (126 mi) S from epicenter |
Yonabaru Okinawa, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) S from epicenter |
Tomigusuku Okinawa, Japan. |
| 212 km (132 mi) S from epicenter |
Itoman Okinawa, Japan. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 February 12th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 252 km (157 mi) further south. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on June 13th, 2020.
In total, 78 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 2 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 5.1. 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 18:58 (). 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 us7000s8id
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260329_0000110
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
Share this article:
