In the morning of Tuesday May 5th, 2026, a significant MAG-5.2 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 147 kilometer from Hachinohe, Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 121 kilometers (75 mi) off the coast of Japan, 147 kilometer south-east of Hachinohe in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 40 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | May 5, 2026 08:54 (Tokyo Time) - May 4, 2026 23:54 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 147 km SE of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 39°57'19"N 143°4'44"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.2 Detected by 13 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.086 . |
| Depth: | 40 km (25 mi) A quite 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 103 kilometer (64 mi) east of Miyako.
Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Sendai is located 268 km to the southwest. Morioka is located 167 km to the west. Hachinohe is located 147 km to the northwest.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 103 km (64 mi) W from epicenter |
Miyako Iwate, Japan. |
| 111 km (69 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamada Iwate, Japan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kamaishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 147 km (91 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hachinohe Aomori, Japan. |
| 150 km (93 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tōno Iwate, Japan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ōfunato Iwate, Japan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) NW from epicenter |
Misawa Aomori, Japan. |
| 167 km (104 mi) W from epicenter |
Morioka Iwate, Japan. |
| 180 km (112 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanamaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 181 km (112 mi) W from epicenter |
Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan. |
| 184 km (114 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kitakami Iwate, Japan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan. |
| 190 km (118 mi) SW from epicenter |
Mizusawa Iwate, Japan. |
| 197 km (122 mi) W from epicenter |
Hanawa Akita, Japan. |
| 203 km (126 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan. |
| 216 km (134 mi) NW from epicenter |
Mutsu Aomori, Japan. |
| 217 km (135 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōdate Akita, Japan. |
| 221 km (137 mi) NW from epicenter |
Aomori Aomori, Japan. |
| 225 km (140 mi) W from epicenter |
Kuroishi Aomori, Japan. |
| 227 km (141 mi) W from epicenter |
Namioka Aomori, Japan. |
| 228 km (142 mi) W from epicenter |
Yokote Akita, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) W from epicenter |
Ōmagari Akita, Japan. |
| 229 km (142 mi) SW from epicenter |
Wakuya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 230 km (143 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan. |
| 232 km (144 mi) W from epicenter |
Hirosaki Aomori, Japan. |
| 233 km (145 mi) W from epicenter |
Takanosu Akita, Japan. |
| 234 km (145 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yamoto Miyagi, Japan. |
| 234 km (145 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kogota Miyagi, Japan. |
| 238 km (148 mi) W from epicenter |
Yuzawa Akita, Japan. |
| 239 km (149 mi) SW from epicenter |
Furukawa Miyagi, Japan. |
| 243 km (151 mi) W from epicenter |
Goshogawara Aomori, Japan. |
| 248 km (154 mi) W from epicenter |
Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shiogama Miyagi, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) W from epicenter |
Akita Akita, Japan. |
| 256 km (159 mi) SW from epicenter |
Rifu Miyagi, Japan. |
| 257 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tomiya Miyagi, Japan. |
| 261 km (162 mi) W from epicenter |
Noshiro Akita, Japan. |
| 265 km (165 mi) W from epicenter |
Tennō Akita, Japan. |
| 268 km (167 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sendai Miyagi, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Shizunai-furukawachō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 273 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter |
Shinjō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 281 km (175 mi) SW from epicenter |
Iwanuma Miyagi, Japan. |
| 282 km (175 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 286 km (178 mi) SW from epicenter |
Higashine Yamagata, Japan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SW from epicenter |
Watari Miyagi, Japan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) SW from epicenter |
Tendō Yamagata, Japan. |
| 294 km (183 mi) NW from epicenter |
Honchō Hokkaido, Japan. |
| 297 km (185 mi) SW from epicenter |
Kakuda Miyagi, Japan. |
| 299 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sagae Yamagata, Japan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) SW from epicenter |
Sakata Yamagata, Japan. |
Shaking reported by 1 person
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 1 person has reported shaking in one place in Japan.We keep updating this article as more ground reports become available. You may report that you felt this earthquake here.
Places with most reports:
- Misawa, Aomori, Japan: 1 person.
2 Aftershocks detected
Since this main shock, 2 smaller aftershocks were detected. At a distance of 51 km (32 mi) south-east of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 1 day later. It measured a magnitude of 4.3
In the days before this main shock, 5 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit 2 hrs earlier nearby.
Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks
| Classification | Magnitude | When | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foreshock | M 3.7 |
2 days earlier May 2, 2026 21:24 (Tokyo Time) | 58 km (36 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.2 |
23 hrs earlier May 4, 2026 10:07 (Tokyo Time) | 18 km (11 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 3.6 |
19 hrs earlier May 4, 2026 13:51 (Tokyo Time) | 58 km (36 mi) W from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.1 |
11 hrs earlier May 4, 2026 21:51 (Tokyo Time) | 42 km (26 mi) NE from Main Shock. |
| Foreshock | M 4.8 |
2 hrs earlier May 5, 2026 06:42 (Tokyo Time) | 26 km (16 mi) E from Main Shock. |
| Main Shock This Earthquake |
M 5.2 |
May 5, 2026 08:54 (Tokyo Time) | - |
| Aftershock | M 4.2 |
1 day later May 6, 2026 18:19 (Tokyo Time) | 51 km (31 mi) SE from Main Shock. |
| Aftershock | M 4.3 |
1 day later May 6, 2026 18:22 (Tokyo Time) | 51 km (32 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.
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 April 22nd, 2026, when a 5.3 magnitude earthquake hit 10 km (6 mi) further east. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.
In total, 118 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 month.
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 40 km (25 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 29/05/26 00:48 (). 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 us7000si9t
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260504_0000361
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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