A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea 88 kilometer from Naze, Japan in the evening of Thursday July 23rd, 2026.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the Philippine Sea, 81 kilometers (50 mi) off the coast of Japan, 88 kilometer south-east of Naze in Kagoshima. 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 23, 2026 18:22 (Tokyo Time) - Jul 23, 2026 09:22 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 88 km SE of Naze, Kagoshima, Japan. Coordinates 27°52'52"N 130°11'19"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 64 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.071 . |
| 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 . Naze in Kagoshima, Japan is the nearest significant place from the epicenter. The earthquake occurred 88 kilometer (55 mi) south-east of Naze.
An overview of nearby towns and cities is available in the overview below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 88 km (55 mi) NW from epicenter |
Naze Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 259 km (161 mi) SW from epicenter |
Nago Okinawa, Japan. |
| 285 km (177 mi) SW from epicenter |
Gushikawa Okinawa, Japan. |
| 285 km (177 mi) SW from epicenter |
Ishikawa Okinawa, Japan. |
| 287 km (178 mi) SW from epicenter |
Katsuren-haebaru Okinawa, Japan. |
| 292 km (181 mi) SW from epicenter |
Okinawa Okinawa, Japan. |
| 292 km (181 mi) SW from epicenter |
Yomitan Okinawa, Japan. |
| 296 km (184 mi) SW from epicenter |
Chatan Okinawa, Japan. |
Risk of aftershocks?
This earthquake did not have any significant foreshocks nor aftershocks occurring within 100km (62 mi) of its epicenter.
The risk of aftershocks decreases rapidly over time. Usually, aftershocks are at least one order of magnitude lower than a main shock.
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 20th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 153 km (95 mi) further west. An even stronger magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck on June 13th, 2020.
In total, 66 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 2 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 23/07/26 23:58 (). 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 us7000t2n3
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260723_0000140
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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