EMSC · September 4, 2026

Magnitude 3.8 earthquake — NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

A magnitude 3.8 earthquake was recorded near NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN on Sep 4, 2026, 01:23 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+9), at a depth of about 50.0 km, according to EMSC.

EMSCShallow (0–70 km)Reviewed by a seismologist

Updated 2026-09-04 18:44 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 3.8 · m
Location
NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 4, 2026, 01:23 AM — UTC+9
Time (UTC)
2026-09-03 16:23 UTC
Depth
50.0 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
37.700, 141.800
Felt reports
No “Did You Feel It?” reports submitted
Tsunami
No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.
Review status
Reviewed by a seismologist
Catalog
EMSC (Centro Sismológico Euromediterráneo)

Open the official catalog record

Epicentre and nearby recent earthquakes

The highlighted circle is this earthquake. Smaller circles are other events recorded nearby in the last 30 days.

What the shaking was like

Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

No intensity estimate was published for this event, which is usual for small earthquakes far from populated areas.

Who lives nearby

About 0 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 726,658 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
Minami-Sōma72.7 km W59,005
Namie74.5 km WSW21,866
Sōma77.2 km W34,865
Tomioka80.2 km WSW2,128
Yachigoya81.0 km WNW7,905
Sakamoto82.7 km WNW12,046
Ide85.0 km WSW3,710
Ōuchi88.1 km WNW6,110
Onagawa Chō88.6 km NNW6,430
Ishinomaki90.9 km NNW140,151

Earthquake history in this area

12 earthquakes of magnitude 4.5+ have been recorded within 200 km of this epicentre since 1960, in Japan.

Other earthquakes near this epicentre

8 other events within 100 km in the last 30 days.

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN earthquake?

Magnitude 3.8 (m), at a depth of 50.0 km. Shallow earthquakes release their energy close to the surface, so they are felt more strongly nearby than a deeper earthquake of the same magnitude.

Exactly when did it happen?

Sep 4, 2026, 01:23 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+9). In universal time: 2026-09-03 16:23 UTC.

Was it felt?

No “Did You Feel It?” reports were submitted for this event. Small earthquakes usually pass unnoticed except very close to the epicentre.

Was there a tsunami warning?

No tsunami evaluation was flagged for this earthquake.

Which towns are closest to the epicentre?

The closest is Minami-Sōma, 72.7 km W (population 59,005).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 9.1 (2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, Japan, 2011), and 8 further events were recorded within 100 km in the last 30 days.

How do I get alerts for the next earthquake here?

Install the free SeismoWatch Android app, draw a box over this area, set a minimum magnitude, and turn alerts on.

About this page

Event data: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC) and, in Venezuela, FUNVISIS. Populated places and time zones: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Preliminary solutions are revised as more observations arrive.