Strong and shallow M6.5 earthquake hits off the east coast of Honshu, Japan
A strong and shallow earthquake registered by the USGS as M6.5 hit off the east coast of Honshu, Japan, at 14:18 UTC on March 26, 2026. The agency is reporting a depth of 9.5 km (5.9 miles). JMA is reporting M6.5 at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles) while EMSC reports M6.5 at a depth of 7 km (4.3 miles).
Epicenter of M6.5 earthquake off the coast of Honshu, Japan on March 26, 2026. Credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 122 km (76 miles) east of Yamada (population 15 195), 125 km (77 miles) east of Miyako (51 150), and 127 km (79 miles) east of Ōtsuchi (11 572), Japan.
1 539 000 people are estimated to have felt light shaking, and 311 000 weak shaking.
A tsunami warning was not issued.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are resistant to earthquake shaking, though vulnerable structures exist. The predominant vulnerable building types are heavy wood frame and reinforced/confined masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and fires that might contribute to losses.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
Regional seismicity
References:
1 M6.5 earthquake off east coast of Honshu, Japan – USGS – 2026-03-26
2 M6.5 earthquake off east coast of Honshu, Japan – EMSC – 2026-03-26
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.