A shallow and significant M5.4 earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean 213 kilometer from Kushiro, Japan in the evening of Saturday April 11th, 2026. Roughly 270 thousand people may have felt this earthquake.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 183 kilometers (113 mi) off the coast of Japan, 213 kilometer south-east of Kushiro in Hokkaido. 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: | Apr 11, 2026 18:49 (Tokyo Time) - Apr 11, 2026 09:49 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 213 km SE of Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan. Coordinates 41°48'29"N 146°26'9"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.4 Detected by 641 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.023 . |
| Depth: | 10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth. |
| Max. Intensity: | IV
Light On the Modified Mercalli Scale. |
| Tsunami Risk: | Low tsunami risk Earthquakes under MAG-6.5 do not usually cause tsunami's. Always stay cautious - More info here. |
Minimal impact predicted
Based on scientific estimates by the US Geographic Survey (USGS), the risk of high fatalities for this earthquake is classified at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 fatalities.
The USGS classifies the economic impact of this earthquake at level GREEN (low). They expect an 90% likelyhood of between 0 and 1 million US Dollars in economic damage and impact.
Roughly 270 thousand people exposed to shaking
The USGS has published a report estimating the number of people exposed to this earthquake. Acoording to their analysis, roughly 270 thousand have been exposed to shaking at an MMI level of II or higher.
Weak shaking and probably no damage may have been experienced by an estimated 264,800 people. At III, it is the highest MMI level this earthquake has caused.
People in 2 countries have been exposed to shaking. Roughly 260 thousand people were exposed to shaking in Japan , with level III (weak shaking, probably no damage) as the highest recorded. People were exposed to shaking in Russia as well.
| People | MMI Level | Shaking | Damage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | I |
Not noticable | None |
| 3,890 | II |
Very weak | None |
| 264,800 | III |
Weak | Probably none |
| 0 | IV |
Light | Likely none |
| 0 | V |
Moderate | Very light |
| 0 | VI |
Strong | Light |
| 0 | VII |
Very Strong | Moderate |
| 0 | VIII |
Severe | Moderate to heavy |
| 0 | IX |
Violent | Heavy |
| 0 | X |
Extreme | Very heavy |
Nearby towns and cities
This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . Nemuro in Hokkaido, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 183 kilometer (114 mi) south-east of Nemuro. The intensity of shaking and damage in Nemuro is estimated to be around level III on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (weak shaking, probably no damage).
A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place | Intensity (MMI) |
|---|---|---|
| 183 km (114 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nemuro Hokkaido, Japan. |
III
Weak |
| 213 km (132 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
III
Weak |
| 228 km (142 mi) NW from epicenter |
Nakashibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
III
Weak |
| 232 km (144 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shibetsu Hokkaido, Japan. |
|
| 293 km (182 mi) NW from epicenter |
Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan. |
|
| 295 km (183 mi) NW from epicenter |
Motomachi Hokkaido, Japan. |
|
| 296 km (184 mi) NW from epicenter |
Otofuke Hokkaido, Japan. |
Earthquake Intensity Map
The maximum intensity (MMI Scale) caused by this earthquake is III. The map below shows in which areas this earthquake was the most and least impactful. It is based on data from the US Geographic Survey.
Risk of aftershocks?
We have not yet detected any foreshocks or aftershocks (MAG-2.5 or higher) within 100km (62 mi) of this earthquake.
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.
It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this 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 January 14th, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 128 km (79 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.
In total, 35 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.4 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 5.4. 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 11/04/26 20:18 (). 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 us6000spac
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260411_0000149
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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