On Wednesday Evening a Strong M6.0 Earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean near Hachinohe (Japan).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 1st, 2026.

In the evening of Wednesday July 1st, 2026, a strong M6.0 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 84 kilometer from Hachinohe, Japan. Around 4.4 million people have been exposed to shaking.

Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 53 kilometers (33 mi) off the coast of Japan, 84 kilometer south-east of Hachinohe in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 44 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Jul 1, 2026 21:08 (Tokyo Time) - Jul 1, 2026 12:08 Universal Time.
Location:	84 km SE of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 40°9'49"N 142°23'34"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 6.0 Detected by 29 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.058 .
Depth:	44 km (27 mi) A quite shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	V Moderate 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 4.4 million people exposed to shaking

An estimated 4.4 million have been exposed to shaking (An MMI or Modified Mercalli Intensity level II or higher) as a result of this earthquake according scientific estimates published by the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is IV, which corresponds with light shaking and likely no damage. Roughly 1,514,000 people are expected to be exposed to this level. The majority of people (roughly 2.9 million) live in an area exposed to level III, where weak shaking and probably no damage is expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Japan .

People	MMI Level	Shaking	Damage
0	I	Not noticable	None
150	II	Very weak	None
2,875,000	III	Weak	Probably none
1,514,000	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 . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Miyako in Iwate, Japan. Miyako is located 69 kilometer (43 mi) north-east of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Miyako is estimated to be around level IV on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (light shaking, likely no damage).

Multiple major population centers exist within 300km of the earthquake that struck today. Sapporo is located 334 km to the north (intensity unknown, possibly low). Sendai is located 249 km to the southwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Hachinohe is located 84 km to the northwest and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage).

An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below. If places don't have intensity data available, it likely means the experienced impact in those places was fairly small.

Overview of nearby places

Cities and Towns around the epicenter of this earthquake.
Distance	Place	Intensity (MMI)
69 km (43 mi) SW from epicenter	Miyako Iwate, Japan.	IV Light
84 km (52 mi) NW from epicenter	Hachinohe Aomori, Japan.	IV Light
86 km (53 mi) SW from epicenter	Yamada Iwate, Japan.	IV Light
103 km (64 mi) NW from epicenter	Misawa Aomori, Japan.	IV Light
108 km (67 mi) SW from epicenter	Kamaishi Iwate, Japan.	III Weak
118 km (73 mi) SW from epicenter	Morioka Iwate, Japan.	IV Light
119 km (74 mi) SW from epicenter	Tōno Iwate, Japan.	IV Light
131 km (81 mi) SW from epicenter	Shizukuishi Iwate, Japan.	III Weak
135 km (84 mi) SW from epicenter	Ōfunato Iwate, Japan.	IV Light
136 km (85 mi) W from epicenter	Hanawa Akita, Japan.	III Weak
139 km (86 mi) SW from epicenter	Hanamaki Iwate, Japan.	III Weak
147 km (91 mi) SW from epicenter	Kitakami Iwate, Japan.	III Weak
153 km (95 mi) SW from epicenter	Kanegasaki Iwate, Japan.	IV Light
156 km (97 mi) W from epicenter	Ōdate Akita, Japan.	III Weak
157 km (98 mi) SW from epicenter	Mizusawa Iwate, Japan.	III Weak
158 km (98 mi) NW from epicenter	Aomori Aomori, Japan.	IV Light
160 km (99 mi) NW from epicenter	Mutsu Aomori, Japan.	IV Light
162 km (101 mi) W from epicenter	Kuroishi Aomori, Japan.	III Weak
164 km (102 mi) W from epicenter	Namioka Aomori, Japan.	III Weak
170 km (106 mi) W from epicenter	Hirosaki Aomori, Japan.	III Weak
172 km (107 mi) W from epicenter	Takanosu Akita, Japan.	III Weak
176 km (109 mi) SW from epicenter	Ichinoseki Iwate, Japan.	III Weak
180 km (112 mi) NW from epicenter	Goshogawara Aomori, Japan.	IV Light
181 km (112 mi) SW from epicenter	Ōmagari Akita, Japan.	IV Light
184 km (114 mi) SW from epicenter	Yokote Akita, Japan.	III Weak
185 km (115 mi) NW from epicenter	Shimokizukuri Aomori, Japan.	IV Light
196 km (122 mi) SW from epicenter	Yuzawa Akita, Japan.	III Weak
200 km (124 mi) W from epicenter	Akita Akita, Japan.	III Weak
201 km (125 mi) W from epicenter	Noshiro Akita, Japan.
216 km (134 mi) SW from epicenter	Furukawa Miyagi, Japan.	III Weak
216 km (134 mi) SW from epicenter	Ishinomaki Miyagi, Japan.	III Weak
227 km (141 mi) NW from epicenter	Hakodate Hokkaido, Japan.	III Weak
235 km (146 mi) NW from epicenter	Kamiiso Hokkaido, Japan.	III Weak
236 km (147 mi) SW from epicenter	Shiogama Miyagi, Japan.
236 km (147 mi) SW from epicenter	Tomiya Miyagi, Japan.	III Weak
238 km (148 mi) SW from epicenter	Shinjō Yamagata, Japan.	III Weak
249 km (155 mi) SW from epicenter	Sendai Miyagi, Japan.
257 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter	Higashine Yamagata, Japan.	III Weak
258 km (160 mi) SW from epicenter	Sakata Yamagata, Japan.
266 km (165 mi) SW from epicenter	Tendō Yamagata, Japan.	III Weak
267 km (166 mi) NW from epicenter	Muroran Hokkaido, Japan.
273 km (170 mi) SW from epicenter	Tsuruoka Yamagata, Japan.
277 km (172 mi) SW from epicenter	Yamagata Yamagata, Japan.
283 km (176 mi) N from epicenter	Tomakomai Hokkaido, Japan.
314 km (195 mi) N from epicenter	Obihiro Hokkaido, Japan.
316 km (196 mi) SW from epicenter	Fukushima Fukushima, Japan.
334 km (208 mi) N from epicenter	Sapporo Hokkaido, Japan.
353 km (219 mi) NE from epicenter	Kushiro Hokkaido, Japan.
353 km (219 mi) SW from epicenter	Kōriyama Fukushima, Japan.
370 km (230 mi) S from epicenter	Iwaki Fukushima, Japan.
387 km (240 mi) SW from epicenter	Niigata Niigata, Japan.

Earthquake Intensity Map

The graph below overlays a map of the region around the epicenter with earthquake intensity data provided by the US Geographic Survey. The highest intensity level detected for this earthquake is IV.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Earthquake Intensity Map based on Shakemap Data provided by USGS.

Shaking reported by 9 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 9 people have reported shaking in 6 places, all within 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: 2 people.
Sendai, Miyagi, Japan: 2 people.
Aomori, Aomori, Japan: 2 people.
Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan: 1 person.
Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan: 1 person.
Omagari, Akita, Japan: 1 person.

2 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 2 smaller aftershocks. At a distance of 26 km (16 mi) north of this earthquake, an aftershock struck 4 hrs later. It measured a magnitude of 4.9

In the days before this main shock, 5 smaller foreshocks were detected. Nearby this earthquake a foreshock struck 22 hrs earlier. It measured a magnitude of 4.8

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

Detected MAG2.5+ earthquakes within within 100km (62 mi), that occurred in the three days before and after the main shock.
Classification	Magnitude	When	Where
Foreshock	M 4.2	3 days earlier Jun 28, 2026 23:49 (Tokyo Time)	20 km (12 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.4	3 days earlier Jun 29, 2026 08:11 (Tokyo Time)	74 km (46 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 3.4	1 day earlier Jun 30, 2026 09:38 (Tokyo Time)	29 km (18 mi) S from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 3.6	1 day earlier Jun 30, 2026 12:24 (Tokyo Time)	31 km (19 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Foreshock	M 4.8	22 hrs earlier Jun 30, 2026 23:02 (Tokyo Time)	2.7 km (1.7 mi) W from Main Shock.
Main Shock This Earthquake	M 6.0	Jul 1, 2026 21:08 (Tokyo Time)	-
Aftershock	M 4.2	3 hrs later Jul 1, 2026 23:52 (Tokyo Time)	23 km (14 mi) NW from Main Shock.
Aftershock	M 4.9	4 hrs later Jul 2, 2026 01:15 (Tokyo Time)	26 km (16 mi) N 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 June 24th, 2026, when a 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit 29 km (18 mi) further northwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.

In total, 32 earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 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 4 months.

Low tsunami risk

DISCLAIMER: We strongly suggest to closely monitor advice from local authorities with regards to tsunami risks. Our analysis is based on automatically collected data from external sources, and these might contain mistakes. In addition, earthquakes can cause landslides that may lead to a tsunami, or be a followed by another, potentially stonger, earthquake.

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 6. Earthquakes of this strength are unlikely to trigger a tsunami.	This earthquake occurred at a depth of of 44 km (27 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami.

Sources

Last updated 01/07/26 19:38 (). This article contains currently available information about the earthquake and is automatically composed. We continue to update this article up to a few days after the earthquake occurred.