In the early morning of Sunday September 13th, 2026, a significant Magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit in the East China Sea 250 kilometer from Kagoshima, Japan.
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Earthquake Summary
This earthquake hit under water in the East China Sea, 103 kilometers (64 mi) off the coast of Japan, 250 kilometer south of Kagoshima. The center of this earthquake had a quite shallow depth of 46 km. Shallow earthquakes usually have a larger impact than earthquakes deep in the earth.
| Date and Time: | Sep 13, 2026 05:32 (Tokyo Time) - Sep 12, 2026 20:32 Universal Time. |
|---|---|
| Location: | 250 km south of Kagoshima, Japan. Coordinates 29°19'28"N 130°22'43"E. |
| Map: |  Map of area around epicenter. Click to open in Google Maps. |
| Magnitude: | MAG 5.1 Detected by 14 stations. Maximum Error Range ±0.083 . |
| Depth: | 46 km (28 mi) A quite 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 Naze in Kagoshima, Japan. Naze is located 138 kilometer (86 mi) north-east of the epicenter.
A complete list of nearby places is included below.
Overview of nearby places
| Distance | Place |
|---|---|
| 138 km (86 mi) SW from epicenter |
Naze Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 168 km (104 mi) N from epicenter |
Nishinoomote Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 214 km (133 mi) N from epicenter |
Ibusuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 216 km (134 mi) N from epicenter |
Makurazaki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 233 km (145 mi) N from epicenter |
Kanoya Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 233 km (145 mi) N from epicenter |
Kaseda-shirakame Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 242 km (150 mi) N from epicenter |
Tarumizu Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 249 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Shibushi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 250 km (155 mi) N from epicenter |
Kagoshima Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 254 km (158 mi) N from epicenter |
Kushima Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 255 km (158 mi) N from epicenter |
Ijūin Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 266 km (165 mi) N from epicenter |
Kushikino Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 266 km (165 mi) N from epicenter |
Sueyoshichō-ninokata Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 268 km (167 mi) N from epicenter |
Hamanoichi Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 269 km (167 mi) N from epicenter |
Kajiki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 270 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Nichinan Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 270 km (168 mi) N from epicenter |
Kokubu-matsuki Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 276 km (171 mi) N from epicenter |
Miyakonojō Miyazaki, Japan. |
| 277 km (172 mi) N from epicenter |
Satsumasendai Kagoshima, Japan. |
| 300 km (186 mi) N from epicenter |
Akune Kagoshima, Japan. |
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.
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 May 20th, 2026, when a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit 263 km (163 mi) further southwest. An even stronger magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck on August 8th, 2024.
In total, 68 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 46 km (28 mi). Earthquakes this shallow could trigger a tsunami. |
Sources
Last updated 13/09/26 03:18 (). 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.
- US Geographic Society (USGS): Earthquake us7000th1q
- European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC): Earthquake 20260912_0000304
- Geonames.org: World Cities Database
- Google Maps: Static API
- Earthquakelist.org: Historic Earthquakes Database
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