How frequent are earthquakes in Japan?

Japan has a very high level of seismic activity. Based on data from the past 14 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 5,300 quakes on average per year in Japan. Japan has had at least 11 quakes above magnitude 8 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.

How many earthquakes occur every year in Japan?

On average, Japan has about 2,600 quakes of magnitude 3 or higher per year (Mag 4+: 1,000 quakes per year, Mag 5+: 180 quakes per year, Mag 6+: 13.3 quakes per year).

When was the latest earthquake in Japan?

The last earthquake in Japan occurred 32 minutes ago and had a magnitude of 2.7: A light magnitude 2.7 earthquake occurred in the Inland Sea near Okino-shima island, Japan, in the early morning of Wednesday, Sep 11, 2024 at 1.22 am local time (GMT +9). The quake had a shallow depth of 44 km (27 mi) and was not felt (or at least not reported so).

How many quakes were there in Japan in the past 48 hours?

In the past 48 hours, Japan was shaken by 6 quakes of magnitude 4.0 or above, 12 quakes between 3.0 and 4.0, and 20 quakes between 2.0 and 3.0.

38 quakes Mag. 2+

6 quakes Mag. 4+

Number of quakes vs long-term average, past 48 hours
Earthquake activity near average

Latest quakes in or near Japan in the past 48 hours on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 - list, stats and map

Magnitude 4.2 Earthquake Philippine Sea, Miyazaki, Japan -

Latest See all	Mag. 2.7 earthquake Inland Sea - 28 km south of Okino-shima Island, Japan -
Strongest past 48 hours	Mag. 4.8 East China Sea - 71 km southeast of Suwanose-jima Island, Japan -

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Updated: Sep 10, 2024 16:54 GMT - refresh

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In the past 48 hours, Japan has had 38 quakes of magnitudes above 2 and up to 4.8:

6 quakes above magnitude 4
12 quakes between magnitude 3 and 4
20 quakes between magnitude 2 and 3

Look up all recent and past quakes!

Latest today: Mag. 2.7 Earthquake Inland Sea, Ehime, 28 km S of Okino-shima Island, Japan -

Strongest: Mag. 4.8 Earthquake 109 km S of Yudomari, Japan -

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Showing quakes magnitude 0.5 or higher, within up to 100 km (62 mi) distance (39 quakes):

Latest quakes in or near Japan in the past 48 hours on Tuesday, September 10, 2024 - list, stats and map
Date and Time	Mag Depth	Nearest Volcano	Location	Details
Sep 11, 01:22 am (GMT +9)	2.7 44 km	11 km (6.8 mi) to the W	Inland Sea, Ehime, 28 km south of Okino-shima Island, Japan	Info
Sep 11, 12:21 am (GMT +9)	2.6 32 km	21 km (13 mi) to the SW	Philippine Sea, 44 km south of Nichinan, Miyazaki, Japan	Info
Sep 11, 12:13 am (GMT +9)	2.7 51 km		33 km northeast of Shizunai-furukawachō, Hokkaido, Japan	Info
Sep 10, 11:26 pm (GMT +9)	3.6 389 km	53 km (33 mi) to the SW	Philippine Sea, 83 km southeast of Ise, Mie, Japan I FELT IT	Info
Sep 10, 09:17 pm (GMT +9)	2.6 58 km	38 km (24 mi) to the S	North Pacific Ocean, 49 km southeast of Tateyama, Chiba, Japan	Info
Sep 10, 03:27 pm (GMT +9)	2.9 212 km		34 km southwest of Matsumoto, Nagano, Japan	Info
Sep 10, 01:10 pm (GMT +9)	3.4 10.9 km	39 km (24 mi) to the SW	Philippine Sea, 55 km southeast of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan I FELT IT	Info
Sep 10, 12:27 pm (GMT +9)	3.3 2.1 km		10.1 km west of Kobayashi, Miyazaki, Japan I FELT IT	Info
Sep 10, 11:37 am (GMT +9)	3.5 17 km	74 km (46 mi) to the NE	North Pacific Ocean, 99 km east of Hachinohe, Aomori, Japan I FELT IT	Info

About these data

Japan Quake-O-Meter

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Earthquake statistics

Average number of earthquakes

Based on data from the past 14 years and our earthquake archive back to 1900, there are about 5,300 quakes on average per year in Japan:

Mag. 8 or higher: 0.08 quakes per year (or 1 quake every 12.5 years)
Mag. 7 or higher: 1.31 quakes per year
Mag. 6 or higher: 13.3 quakes per year
Mag. 5 or higher: 180 quakes per year (or 15 quakes per month)
Mag. 4 or higher: 1,000 quakes per year (or 2.8 quakes per day)
Mag. 3 or higher: 2,600 quakes per year (or 7.1 quakes per day)
Mag. 2 or higher: 5,300 quakes per year (or 14.5 quakes per day)
Mag. 1 or higher: 10,000 quakes per year (or 28.2 quakes per day)

Japan has a very high level of seismic activity. Japan has had at least 11 quakes above magnitude 8 since 1900, which suggests that larger earthquakes of this size occur infrequently, probably on average approximately every 10 to 15 years.

Detailed stats

Number of earthquakes over time

Past 90 days

30 days

7 days

24 hours

2023

2024 so far

Number of earthquakes over time: Past 90 days

Number of earthquakes over time: 30 days

Number of earthquakes over time: 24 hours

Number of earthquakes over time: 2024 so far

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Largest Quakes in or near Japan

Strongest in 10 years

Mag. 7.7 earthquake Philippine Sea - Tokyo, Japan - May 30, 2015 -

The largest quake that occurred in or near Japan during the past 10 years was a magnitude 7.7 earthquake that hit Philippine Sea,

Japan, 9 years ago on Saturday, May 30, 2015, at 09:23 pm (GMT +10 local time). The earthquake struck in 197 km (123 mi) distance northwest from Futami at 695 km (432 mi) depth.

Strongest since 1900

Mag. 9.1 earthquake North Pacific Ocean - Miyagi-ken, Japan - Mar 11, 2011 -

14 years ago, North Pacific Ocean,

Japan, was hit by a magnitude 9.1 quake on Friday, Mar 11, 2011, at 02:46 pm (GMT +9 local time). This was the largest earthquake to have occurred in or near Japan in more than 100 years (since 1900).
Below is a list and map of the largest quakes in or near Japan in recent years and since 1900.

Date and Time	Mag Depth	###DIST_LABEL###	Location	Details
Aug 8, 04:42 pm (GMT +9)	7.1 25 km	1 km (0.6 mi) to the SW	20 km NE of Nichinan, Japan 38 reports	Info
Jan 1, 04:10 pm (GMT +9)	7.5 10 km		Ishikawa, 85 km north of Takaoka, Toyama, Japan 191 reports	Info
Mar 16, 2022 11:36 pm (GMT +9)	7.3 41 km	50 km (31 mi) to the NE	North Pacific Ocean, 67 km south of Tashiro Jima Island, Miyagi-ken, Japan 101 reports	Info
May 1, 2021 10:27 am (GMT +9)	6.8 61 km	10 km (6.2 mi) to the NE	Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan 98 reports	Info
Mar 20, 2021 06:09 pm (GMT +9)	7.0 44 km		Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan 218 reports	Info
Feb 13, 2021 11:07 pm (GMT +9)	7.1 56 km	52 km (32 mi) to the NE	Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan 472 reports	Info
Nov 22, 2016 05:59 am (GMT +9)	6.9 10 km	29 km (18 mi) to the NE	North Pacific Ocean, 35 km east of Namie, Fukushima, Japan 43 reports	Info
Apr 16, 2016 01:25 am (GMT +9)	7.0 10 km		12 km northwest of Kumamoto, Kumamoto, Japan 23 reports	Info
May 30, 2015 09:23 pm (GMT +10)	7.7 695 km	83 km (52 mi) to the S	Philippine Sea, 197 km northwest of Futami, Tokyo, Japan 74 reports	Info
May 13, 2015 06:13 am (GMT +9)	6.8 53 km	13 km (8.1 mi) to the NE	Near East Coast of Honshu, Japan 31 reports	Info
Mar 11, 2011 02:46 pm (GMT +9)	9.1 29 km	73 km (45 mi) to the NE	2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, Japan	Info
Sep 26, 2003 04:50 am (GMT +9)	8.2 27 km	55 km (34 mi) to the NE	North Pacific Ocean, 135 km south of Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan	Info
May 16, 1968 09:49 am (GMT +9)	8.2 30 km	119 km (74 mi) to the NE	168 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan	Info
Mar 21, 1960 02:07 am (GMT +9)	8.0 15 km	105 km (65 mi) to the NE	113 km ENE of Miyako, Japan	Info
Mar 4, 1952 10:22 am (GMT +9)	8.1 45 km	47 km (29 mi) to the NE	Hokkaido, Japan region	Info
Dec 20, 1946 07:19 pm (Universal Time)	8.3 15 km	39 km (24 mi) to the SW	Philippine Sea, 84 km southeast of Tanabe, Wakayama, Japan	Info
Dec 7, 1944 04:35 am (Universal Time)	8.1 15 km	15 km (9.3 mi) to the SW	20 km E of Shing?, Japan	Info
Mar 2, 1933 05:31 pm (Universal Time)	8.4 15 km	220 km (137 mi) to the NE	1933 Sanriku (Sanriku-oki) Earthquake, Japan	Info
Sep 1, 1923 02:58 am (Universal Time)	8.0 15 km	3 km (1.9 mi) to the SW	5 km SSE of ?iso, Japan	Info
Apr 12, 1910 12:22 am (Universal Time)	8.1 235 km	153 km (95 mi) to the SW	163 km NW of Hirara, Japan	Info