Reviewed by USGSJapan region8d ago
M5.0 earthquake in Izu Islands, Japan region
Friday, September 18, 2026, 07:19:28 UTC · 32.243°N, 141.576°E
A magnitude 5.0 earthquake struck in Izu Islands, Japan region on Friday, September 18, 2026, 07:19:28 UTC, at a depth of 35.3 km (shallow). It is the strongest earthquake within 300 km since an M5.4 on August 21, 2026.
- Magnitude
- 5.0
- Moderate · mww
- Depth
- 35 km
- Shallow
- Felt reports
- 0
- Did You Feel It?
- Est. shaking
- —
- No ShakeMap
- PAGER alert
- None
- Not issued
- Tsunami
- No flag
- USGS feed
Outlined circle: this earthquakeDashed circle: 75 km aftershock search area
In context
How big was it, and why here?
Energy released
477 tons of TNT
That is about 1/32 of the Hiroshima bomb. Each whole step in magnitude is about 32 times more energy.
Tectonic setting
44 km
from the nearest mapped plate boundary, between the Philippine Sea and Pacific plates. Earthquakes cluster along boundaries like this one, where plates collide, pull apart or slide past each other.
Depth: shallow
35 km
Shallow earthquakes (under 70 km) produce the strongest surface shaking for their size, so they are the ones most likely to cause damage near the epicenter.
Did You Feel It?
Where it was felt
No “Did You Feel It?” reports have been published for this event yet. If you felt it, you can add your report on the USGS website.
I felt it — report to USGS ↗USGS PAGER estimate
Who was exposed to shaking
USGS publishes PAGER impact estimates for significant earthquakes, usually within an hour. No PAGER estimate is available for this event.
After the main event
Aftershocks within 75 km
USGS lists 1 M2.5+ earthquake within 75 km since this event; the largest was M4.5 on September 18, 2026. Most nearby activity right after a large earthquake is aftershocks, which usually become less frequent over days and weeks.
Regional history
Past M5+ earthquakes within 300 km
USGS lists 846 M5.0+ earthquakes within 300 km before this one (catalog from 1900; older records are less complete). The strongest:
- 7.9174 km SE of Katsuura, JapanNovember 25, 1953 · 196 km N of this epicenter
- 7.3206 km SSE of Wada, JapanDecember 4, 1972 · 137 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.3190 km SE of Hasaki, JapanSeptember 7, 1906 · 292 km N of this epicenter
- 7.2193 km SSE of Wada, JapanFebruary 29, 1972 · 148 km NW of this epicenter
- 7.0208 km SE of Katsuura, JapanApril 21, 1916 · 163 km N of this epicenter
- 7.0125 km ESE of Katsuura, JapanAugust 18, 1927 · 257 km N of this epicenter
- 6.9off the east coast of Honshu, JapanJuly 19, 1944 · 174 km N of this epicenter
- 6.8166 km SE of Katsuura, JapanSeptember 18, 1984 · 196 km N of this epicenter
History · NOAA
Deadliest earthquakes in this area
NOAA’s significant-earthquake database lists 25 damaging, deadly or tsunami-generating earthquakes within 300 km of this epicenter since 1700, which together caused about 1 recorded deaths. The most severe:
- 1953M7.4
Kashima
25 Nov 1953 · 196 km away
1 deathLimited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1972M7.4
S Of Honshu, Hachijojima
4 Dec 1972 · 143 km away · intensity X
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1972M7.2
S Of Honshu: Hachijojima, Tokyo
29 Feb 1972 · 138 km away · intensity X
Moderate damage ($1–5M)tsunami
- 1983M6.0
Miyakejima, Oshima
3 Oct 1983 · 269 km away · intensity VIII
Moderate damage ($1–5M)
- 1909M7.5
Yokohama
13 Mar 1909 · 251 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
- 1909M6.7
Choshi
12 Mar 1909 · 251 km away
Limited damage (under $1M)tsunami
NOAA NCEI Global Significant Earthquake Database. Historical figures are estimates; older records are incomplete.