In the evening of Thursday July 9th, 2026, a shallow and significant M5.1 earthquake hit in the Philippine Sea 98 kilometer from Minato, Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 52 kilometers (33 mi) off the coast of Japan, 98 kilometer south of Minato in Wakayama. 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: | Jul 9, 2026 21:58 (Tokyo Time) - Jul 9, 2026 12:58 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 98 km south of Minato, Wakayama, Japan. Coordinates 33°20'33"N 134°59'6"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 87 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.061 . |
| 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 Shirahama in Wakayama, Japan. Shirahama is located 51 kilometer (32 mi) southwest of the epicenter.
Major cities near this earthquake: Osaka is located 158 km to the north. Kobe is located 151 km to the north. Nagoya is located 270 km to the north-east.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 51 km (32 mi) NE from epicenter |
Shirahama Wakayama, Japan. |
| 56 km (35 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tanabe Wakayama, Japan. |
| 62 km (39 mi) N from epicenter |
Gobō Wakayama, Japan. |
| 71 km (44 mi) NW from epicenter |
Anan Tokushima, Japan. |
| 75 km (47 mi) E from epicenter |
Kushimoto Wakayama, Japan. |
| 76 km (47 mi) W from epicenter |
Muroto-misakicho Kōchi, Japan. |
| 82 km (51 mi) NW from epicenter |
Komatsushimachō Tokushima, Japan. |
| 89 km (55 mi) NW from epicenter |
Tokushima Tokushima, Japan. |
| 92 km (57 mi) N from epicenter |
Kainan Wakayama, Japan. |
| 95 km (59 mi) NW from epicenter |
Ishii Tokushima, Japan. |
| 98 km (61 mi) N from epicenter |
Minato Wakayama, Japan. |
| 100 km (62 mi) N from epicenter |
Wakayama Wakayama, Japan. |
| 100 km (62 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kamojimachō-jōgejima Tokushima, Japan. |
| 101 km (63 mi) N from epicenter |
Narutochō-mitsuishi Tokushima, Japan. |
| 105 km (65 mi) N from epicenter |
Iwade Wakayama, Japan. |
| 123 km (76 mi) N from epicenter |
Izumisano Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 128 km (80 mi) N from epicenter |
Kaizuka Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 130 km (81 mi) N from epicenter |
Kishiwada Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 133 km (83 mi) N from epicenter |
Izumi Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 137 km (85 mi) W from epicenter |
Kochi Kōchi, Japan. |
| 140 km (87 mi) NW from epicenter |
Takamatsu Kagawa, Japan. |
| 141 km (88 mi) NE from epicenter |
Tondabayashichō Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 145 km (90 mi) N from epicenter |
Sakai Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 146 km (91 mi) N from epicenter |
Akashi Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 146 km (91 mi) N from epicenter |
Matsubara Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 150 km (93 mi) NE from epicenter |
Kashihara-shi Nara, Japan. |
| 151 km (94 mi) N from epicenter |
Kobe Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 153 km (95 mi) N from epicenter |
Yao Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 156 km (97 mi) N from epicenter |
Nishinomiya-hama Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 158 km (98 mi) N from epicenter |
Osaka Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 158 km (98 mi) N from epicenter |
Amagasaki Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 159 km (99 mi) N from epicenter |
Kakogawachō-honmachi Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 164 km (102 mi) N from epicenter |
Moriguchi Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) N from epicenter |
Itami Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 165 km (103 mi) N from epicenter |
Suita Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) N from epicenter |
Takarazuka Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) N from epicenter |
Toyonaka Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 166 km (103 mi) N from epicenter |
Himeji Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 167 km (104 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nara-shi Nara, Japan. |
| 169 km (105 mi) N from epicenter |
Kawanishi Hyōgo, Japan. |
| 169 km (105 mi) N from epicenter |
Neyagawa Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 172 km (107 mi) N from epicenter |
Ibaraki Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 174 km (108 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nabari Mie, Japan. |
| 175 km (109 mi) NW from epicenter |
Okayama Okayama, Japan. |
| 175 km (109 mi) N from epicenter |
Hirakata Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 177 km (110 mi) N from epicenter |
Takatsuki Ōsaka, Japan. |
| 178 km (111 mi) NW from epicenter |
Kurashiki Okayama, Japan. |
| 188 km (117 mi) NE from epicenter |
Uji Kyoto, Japan. |
| 196 km (122 mi) NW from epicenter |
Fukuyama Hirochima, Japan. |
| 200 km (124 mi) N from epicenter |
Kyoto Kyoto, Japan. |
| 201 km (125 mi) NE from epicenter |
Ōtsu Shiga, Japan. |
| 213 km (132 mi) W from epicenter |
Matsuyama Ehime, Japan. |
| 250 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Tottori Tottori, Japan. |
| 262 km (163 mi) NW from epicenter |
Hiroshima Hirochima, Japan. |
| 270 km (168 mi) NE from epicenter |
Nagoya Aichi, Japan. |
| 271 km (168 mi) W from epicenter |
Iwakuni Yamaguchi, Japan. |
| 274 km (170 mi) N from epicenter |
Tsuruga Fukui, Japan. |
| 283 km (176 mi) NE from epicenter |
Gifu-shi Gifu, Japan. |
| 291 km (181 mi) W from epicenter |
Saiki Ōita, Japan. |
| 295 km (183 mi) NE from epicenter |
Hamamatsu Shizuoka, Japan. |
| 297 km (185 mi) NW from epicenter |
Matsue Shimane, Japan. |
Shaking reported by 2 people
People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 2 people have reported shaking in 2 places 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:
- Kobe, Hyogo, Japan: 1 person.
- Ibaraki, Ōsaka, Japan: 1 person.
Risk of aftershocks?
We monitor for foreshocks or aftershocks that have a magnitude of 2.5+ and occur within 100km (62 mi) of the epicenter of this earthquake. So far no such earthquakes have been detected.
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. This is the strongest earthquake to hit since May 2nd, 2026, when a 5.7 magnitude earthquake hit 101 km (63 mi) further north-east. An even stronger magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck on April 17th, 2024.
In total, 25 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 5 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 09/07/26 18:08 (). 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 us7000sz7n
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260709_0000173
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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