On Sunday Night a Significant M5.5 Earthquake struck in the North Pacific Ocean near Hachinohe (Japan).

Written by Earthquakelist.org on August 8th, 2026. Last updated August 31st, 2026.

In the night of Sunday August 9th, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit in the North Pacific Ocean 80 kilometer from Hachinohe, Japan. Around 4.4 million people have been exposed to shaking.

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Earthquake Summary

This earthquake hit under water in the North Pacific Ocean, 51 kilometers (32 mi) off the coast of Japan, 80 kilometer south-east of Hachinohe in Aomori. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 34 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.

Date and Time:	Aug 9, 2026 02:57 (Tokyo Time) - Aug 8, 2026 17:57 Universal Time.
Location:	80 km SE of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan. Coordinates 40°11'57"N 142°21'33"E.
Map:	Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps.
Magnitude:	MAG 5.5 Detected by 22 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.066 .
Depth:	34 km (21 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.

An estimated 443,300 people were exposed to level IV. At this level, light shaking and likely no damage can be expected. Intensity level III was experienced by the majority of people (around 3.7 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 Miyako in Iwate, Japan. Miyako is located 71 kilometer (44 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. Sendai is located 250 km to the southwest (intensity unknown, possibly low). Hachinohe is located 80 km to the northwest and experienced an intensity of IV (light shaking, likely no damage). Morioka is located 117 km to the southwest and experienced an intensity of III (weak shaking, probably 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 intensity in shaking and damage by this earthquake is illustrated through the map below. The highest intensity measured 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

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:

• Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan: 1 person.
• Sendai, Miyagi, Japan: 1 person.

3 Aftershocks detected

This main shock was followed by 3 smaller aftershocks. A 4.2 magnitude earthquake hit 2 days later 76 km (47 mi) north of this earthquake.

In the days before this main shock, 4 smaller foreshocks were detected. A 4 magnitude earthquake hit 20 hrs earlier nearby.

Overview of foreshocks and aftershocks

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.

It's always adviced to be cautious of the risk of a larger shock following any significant earthquake, however this risk is fairly small. There is a roughly 94 percent change that no larger main shock will follow in the days following this earthquake.

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 August 1st, 2026, when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit 130 km (81 mi) further north. An even stronger magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck on December 8th, 2025.

In total, 79 earthquakes with a magnitude of 5.5 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

Sources

Last updated 31/08/26 20:48 (). 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 us6000tjaj
2. European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260808_0000261
3. Geonames.org: World Cities Database
4. Google Maps: Static API
5. Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database

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