EMSC · September 18, 2026

Magnitude 3.4 earthquake — 17 km ENE of China, Japan

A magnitude 3.4 earthquake was recorded near 17 km ENE of China, Japan on Sep 18, 2026, 03:06 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 2026-09-17 18:46 UTC

The full record

Magnitude
M 3.4 · m
Location
17 km ENE of China, Japan
Local time at the epicentre
Sep 18, 2026, 03:06 AM — UTC+9
Time (UTC)
2026-09-17 18:06 UTC
Depth
50.0 km · Shallow (0–70 km)
Coordinates
27.300, 128.400
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 18,020 people live in towns within 30 km of the epicentre, and 161,576 within 100 km. Distances are from the epicentre to the town centre.

PlaceDistancePopulation
China16.9 km ENE5,976
Wadomari26.4 km ENE6,929
Chabana28.0 km S5,115
Iheya52.4 km SW1,214
Izena63.0 km SW1,518
Kunigami64.6 km SSW4,908
Isen67.5 km NE6,594
Ōgimi72.2 km SSW3,092
Amagi75.7 km NE6,350
Tsuha77.6 km SSW17,969

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

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

Be first to know about the next earthquake near 17 km ENE of China, Japan

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Frequently asked questions

How strong was the 17 km ENE of China, Japan earthquake?

Magnitude 3.4 (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 18, 2026, 03:06 AM (local time at the epicentre — UTC+9). In universal time: 2026-09-17 18:06 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 China, 16.9 km ENE (population 5,976).

Are earthquakes normal in this area?

Yes. The largest earthquake recorded within 200 km since 1960 was magnitude 7.1 (83 km SE of Naze, Japan, 1995), and 3 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.