Shallow M5.3 AFTERSHOCK hit in the East China Sea near Kumamoto (Japan) on Wednesday Evening.

Written by Earthquakelist.org on July 29th, 2026. Last updated August 18th, 2026.

A shallow and significant Magnitude 5.3 aftershock struck in the East China Sea 56 kilometer from Kumamoto, Japan in the evening of Wednesday July 29th, 2026. The earthquake struck near a very densely populated region. Around 13 million people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the East China Sea, right off the coast of Japan (1 mi offshore), 56 kilometer southwest of Kumamoto. 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 29, 2026 22:19 (Tokyo Time) - Jul 29, 2026 13:19 Universal Time.
Location:	56 km SW of Kumamoto, Japan. Coordinates 32°20'46"N 130°27'31"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.3 Detected by 42 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.048 .
Depth:	10 km (6 mi) A very shallow depth.
Max. Intensity:	VII Very Strong 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 13 million people exposed to shaking

This earthquake may have been felt by around 13 million people. That is the expected population size of the area exposed to a level of shaking of II or higher on the Modified Mercalli scale according to the USGS.

The highest earthquake impact level for this earthquake is VI, which corresponds with strong shaking and probably light damage. Roughly 43,620 people are expected to be exposed to this level. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 7.1 million). In their region, weak shaking and probably no damage can be expected. All exposure to shaking was within the borders of Japan .

Nearby towns and cities

This earthquake may have been felt in Japan . The closest significant population center near the earthquake is Minamata in Kumamoto, Japan. Minamata is located 15 kilometer (9 mi) north of the epicenter. The intensity of shaking and damage in Minamata is estimated to be around level V on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (moderate shaking, very light damage).

Major cities near this earthquake: Kumamoto is located 56 km to the north-east and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Fukuoka is located 139 km to the north and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Kagoshima is located 87 km to the south and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage).

A complete list of nearby places is included below. Estimated intensity data (MMI) sourced from a shake-map published by the US Geographic Survey is shown where available (cities without data probably experienced little impact).

Overview of nearby places

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 VII.

I Not felt

II Weak

III Weak

IV Light

V Moderate

VI Strong

VII Very Strong

VIII Severe

IX Violent

X Extreme

Shaking reported by 4 people

People that feel an earthquake may report their experience to the US Geographic Survey. Currently, 4 people have reported shaking in 4 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:

• Ashikita, Kumamoto, Japan: 1 person.
• Isahaya, Nagasaki, Japan: 1 person.
• Ibaraki, Ōsaka, Japan: 1 person.
• Kagoshima, Kagoshima, Japan: 1 person.

This is likely an aftershock

This earthquake was an aftershock. A larger mag. 6.8 earthquake struck 45 km (28 mi) north-east in advance of this 5.3 earthquake around 1 day earlier.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

More earthquakes coming?

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

Earthquakes like this happen often in the region

Earthquakes of this strength are very common in the region. In total, 35 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.3 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 3 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

Sources

Last updated 18/08/26 01:08 (). 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.

1. US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us6000tgmx
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260729_0000212
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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