Significant magnitude 5.0 quake hits 10 km southeast of Tsuchiura, Japan, after midnight

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred after midnight on Thursday, September 17th, 2026, at 12:07 am local time near Tsuchiura, Tsuchiura-shi, Ibaraki, Japan, as reported by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC).
According to preliminary data, the quake was located at a moderately shallow depth of 37 km. The exact magnitude, epicenter, and depth of the quake might be revised within the next few hours or minutes as seismologists review data and refine their calculations, or as other agencies issue their reports.
Based on the preliminary seismic data, the quake was probably felt by many people in the area of the epicenter. It should not have caused significant damage, other than objects falling from shelves, broken windows, etc.
Weak shaking might have been felt in Tsuchiura (pop. 144,400), located 10 km from the epicenter; Ami (pop. 48,600), 11 km away; Ishioka (pop. 73,100), 13 km away; Naka (pop. 53,100), 14 km away; Tsukuba (pop. 241,700), 18 km away; Ushiku (pop. 84,700), 20 km away; Tsukuba (pop. 175,600), 24 km away; Mito (pop. 270,700), 33 km away; Tokyo (pop. 9,733,300), 71 km away; and Yokohama (pop. 3,777,500), 93 km away.
VolcanoDiscovery will automatically update the magnitude and depth if they change and follow up if other significant news about the quake becomes available. If you’re in the area, please send us your experience through our reporting mechanism, either online or via our mobile app. This will help us provide more first-hand updates to anyone around the globe who wants to know more about this quake.


Earthquake data:
Date & time: Sep 16, 2026 03:07 pm (Universal Time) local time (16 Sep 2026 15:07 GMT)
Magnitude: 5.0
Hypocenter depth: 37.00 km
Epicenter coordinates: 36.07°N / 140.32°E (Kasumigaura Shi, Ibaraki, Japan)
Primary data source: EMSC
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