A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 aftershock struck in the North Pacific Ocean 197 kilometer from Morioka, Japan in the evening of Monday April 20th, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 153 kilometers (95 mi) off the coast of Japan, 197 kilometer east of Morioka in Iwate. 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 20, 2026 21:56 (Tokyo Time) - Apr 20, 2026 12:56 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 197 km east of Morioka, Iwate, Japan. Coordinates 39°35'20"N 143°26'55"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 328 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.032 . |
| 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 . Miyako in Iwate, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 129 kilometer (80 mi) east of Miyako.
Multiple large cities are in proximity of today's earthquake. Sendai is located 267 km to the southwest. Morioka is located 197 km to the west. Hachinohe is located 194 km to the northwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 129 km (80 mi) W from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 129 km (80 mi) W from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 140 km (87 mi) W from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 160 km (99 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 167 km (104 mi) W from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 194 km (121 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) W from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 201 km (125 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 203 km (126 mi) W from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) W from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 205 km (127 mi) W from epicenter |
Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 211 km (131 mi) W from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) W from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) NW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 227 km (141 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan. |
| 231 km (144 mi) SW from epicenter |
Wakuya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamoto Miyagi, Japan. |
| 236 km (147 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 237 km (147 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kogota Miyagi, Japan. |
| 243 km (151 mi) SW from epicenter |
Furukawa Miyagi, Japan. |
| 247 km (153 mi) SW from epicenter |
Matsushima Miyagi, Japan. |
| 251 km (156 mi) W from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 252 km (157 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiogama Miyagi, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter |
Rifu Miyagi, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tomiya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 258 km (160 mi) W from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 267 km (166 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 267 km (166 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sendai Miyagi, Japan. |
| 268 km (167 mi) NW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 270 km (168 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 272 km (169 mi) W from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) NW from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 278 km (173 mi) SW from epicenter |
Iwanuma Miyagi, Japan. |
| 284 km (176 mi) SW from epicenter |
Watari Miyagi, Japan. |
| 285 km (177 mi) SW from epicenter |
Obanazawa Yamagata, Japan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) W from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) W from epicenter |
Shinjō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 289 km (180 mi) NW from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōkawara Miyagi, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kakuda Miyagi, Japan. |
| 293 km (182 mi) SW from epicenter |
Higashine Yamagata, Japan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) NW from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tendō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) W from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) W from epicenter |
Tennō Akita, Japan. |
This is likely an aftershock
This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 7.4 earthquake struck 53 km (33 mi) northwest in advance of this 5.1 earthquake around 5 hrs earlier.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main Shock | M 7.4 |
Apr 20, 2026 16:53 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 5.3 |
10 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:03 (Tokyo Time) | 75 km (47 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.2 |
16 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:08 (Tokyo Time) | 29 km (18 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.9 |
22 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:14 (Tokyo Time) | 64 km (39 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
31 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:23 (Tokyo Time) | 21 km (13 mi) SW from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.7 |
37 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:30 (Tokyo Time) | 7 km (5 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.6 |
40 mins later Apr 20, 2026 17:32 (Tokyo Time) | 39 km (24 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.4 |
1 hr later Apr 20, 2026 18:07 (Tokyo Time) | 41 km (26 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.1 |
2 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 18:49 (Tokyo Time) | 27 km (17 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.8 |
3 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 19:37 (Tokyo Time) | 63 km (39 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 5.0 |
3 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 19:44 (Tokyo Time) | 55 km (34 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.5 |
4 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 20:28 (Tokyo Time) | 33 km (21 mi) S from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock This Earthquake |
M 5.1 |
5 hrs later Apr 20, 2026 21:56 (Tokyo Time) | 53 km (33 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
More earthquakes coming?
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. In total, 153 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 24 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 10 km (6 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 20/04/26 14:38 (). 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 us6000srjx
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260420_0000210
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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