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Country profile · USGS ComCat

Earthquakes in Japan

Japan ranks 2nd of 215 countries by catalogued seismic activity - among the most seismically active nations on Earth. Below: the full M6+ event history, magnitude and depth profile, and yearly trend, straight from USGS data.

21,476
M4+ events (since 2005)
1,133
Major M6+ (since 1900)
M9.1
Strongest
~1,023
M4+ per year

The verdict

Japan has logged 21,476 M4+ earthquakes since 2005 and 1,133 major M6+ events since 1900, the strongest reaching magnitude 9.1.

#2
of 215 countries by M4+ activity
21,476
catalogued M4+ events (2005–present)
M9.1
strongest earthquake on record
1,133
major M6+ events since 1900

Average catalogued magnitude is 4.5 - most events are moderate M4–5 tremors that are felt but rarely cause damage.

Major (M6+) earthquakes in Japan by year

Count of significant (magnitude 6.0+) events catalogued each year

Value

What this shows Japan's most active year for major earthquakes was 2011 (83 M6+ events). Major-quake counts are irregular, they track the episodic release of tectonic stress, not a smooth trend.

Source USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat) As of 2025

Magnitude distribution of major events

Breakdown of the 1,133 significant (M6+) earthquakes on record for Japan.

M8+

3

0.3%

M7.0-7.9

126

11.1%

M6.0-6.9

1,004

88.6%

Depth of major earthquakes

Hypocentral depth of the 1,133 M6+ events, shallow quakes shake the surface hardest. Average depth: 43 km.

Shallow (<70 km)

1,045

92.2% of events

Intermediate (70–300 km)

61

5.4% of events

Deep (>300 km)

27

2.4% of events

Strongest earthquakes in Japan

The 10 most powerful events on record (USGS, since 1900).

Mag Location Depth
9.1 2011 Great Tohoku Earthquake, Japan 29.0 km
8.4 1933 Sanriku (Sanriku-oki) Earthquake, Japan 15.0 km
8.3 68 km S of Shing?, Japan 15.0 km
8.0 5 km SSE of ?iso, Japan 15.0 km
8.0 113 km ENE of Miyako, Japan 15.0 km
7.9 58 km ESE of Takanabe, Japan 35.0 km
7.9 78 km E of Hachinohe, Japan 35.0 km
7.9 47 km E of ?arai, Japan 42.6 km
7.9 70 km S of Honchō, Japan 31.1 km
7.9 174 km SE of Katsuura, Japan 25.0 km

Significant earthquake record (1,133 events)

Every catalogued magnitude-6.0-and-above earthquake in Japan since 1900, most recent first.

Mag Location Depth
6.1 136 km NNE of Hirara, Japan 10.0 km
6.0 49 km E of Noda, Japan 43.6 km
6.9 30 km ENE of Kuji, Japan 50.9 km
6.7 41 km ESE of Ōfunato, Japan 42.0 km
6.0 100 km E of Miyako, Japan 35.0 km
7.4 102 km ENE of Miyako, Japan 25.0 km
6.5 123 km E of Yamada, Japan 16.0 km
6.0 96 km E of Noda, Japan 27.0 km
6.7 117 km NE of Kuji, Japan 19.0 km
6.6 129 km S of Honchō, Japan 19.0 km
6.0 127 km S of Honchō, Japan 22.8 km
6.0 129 km E of Yamada, Japan 11.0 km
6.4 117 km E of Yamada, Japan 10.0 km
6.8 122 km E of Yamada, Japan 18.0 km
6.0 82 km SE of Nemuro, Japan 18.0 km
6.0 78 km S of Kushiro, Japan 21.0 km
6.1 56 km ENE of Nishinoomote, Japan 29.0 km
6.8 15 km SE of Miyazaki, Japan 39.0 km
6.1 38 km WNW of Hakui, Japan 8.0 km
6.1 156 km SSE of Koshima, Japan 8.0 km
6.3 18 km W of Uwajima, Japan 32.0 km
6.1 77 km E of Minami-Sōma, Japan 29.0 km
6.2 8 km SW of Anamizu, Japan 10.0 km
6.3 191 km N of Hirara, Japan 176.0 km
6.2 20 km WSW of Biratori, Japan 121.0 km
6.1 12 km SE of Narutō, Japan 42.0 km
6.2 49 km NE of Anamizu, Japan 10.0 km
6.1 85 km SSE of Toba, Japan 346.0 km
6.0 235 km SSE of Katsuura, Japan 12.0 km
6.2 70 km SW of Yonakuni, Japan 21.0 km
7.3 57 km ENE of Namie, Japan 41.0 km
6.0 62 km ENE of Namie, Japan 57.2 km
6.3 27 km SSE of Saiki, Japan 39.0 km
6.0 116 km N of Naze, Japan 7.0 km
6.6 177 km SE of Hirara, Japan 12.0 km
6.1 243 km NNW of Nanao, Japan 364.0 km
6.0 76 km ENE of Namie, Japan 32.0 km
6.9 30 km SSE of Onagawa Ch?, Japan 43.0 km
7.0 30 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan 43.0 km
7.1 73 km ENE of Namie, Japan 44.0 km
6.3 100 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan 35.0 km
6.1 58 km SE of ?funato, Japan 34.0 km
6.6 130 km WNW of Naze, Japan 165.0 km
6.3 31 km SE of ?funato, Japan 38.0 km
6.3 61 km ENE of Namie, Japan 38.0 km
6.3 138 km ESE of Shing?, Japan 367.0 km
6.1 169 km NW of Naze, Japan 251.0 km
6.4 31 km WSW of Tsuruoka, Japan 12.0 km
6.2 43 km ESE of Miyazaki, Japan 22.0 km
6.0 143 km NE of Miyako, Japan 18.0 km
6.3 16 km SSE of Nishinoomote, Japan 35.0 km
6.6 27 km ESE of Chitose, Japan 35.0 km
6.3 99 km ENE of Misawa, Japan 31.0 km
6.2 259 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan 9.0 km
6.1 282 km ESE of Kamaishi, Japan 11.0 km
6.0 176 km SSE of Naze, Japan 12.0 km
6.0 110 km ESE of Hirara, Japan 10.0 km
6.9 35 km ESE of Namie, Japan 9.0 km
6.1 24 km ENE of Ishinomaki, Japan 42.4 km
6.2 6 km S of Kurayoshi, Japan 5.6 km
6.2 142 km ESE of Katsuura, Japan 10.0 km
6.0 170 km ENE of Miyako, Japan 10.0 km
7.0 6 km ESE of Kumamoto, Japan 10.0 km
6.0 5 km ENE of Uto, Japan 8.0 km
6.2 2 km SSE of Kumamoto, Japan 9.0 km
6.7 52 km SE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan 46.0 km
6.2 74 km NW of Rumoi, Japan 238.8 km
6.7 140 km WSW of Makurazaki, Japan 12.0 km
6.1 74 km ENE of Mutsu, Japan 42.0 km
6.8 32 km SE of ?funato, Japan 35.0 km
6.1 72 km SW of Yonakuni, Japan 29.0 km
6.0 69 km SW of Yonakuni, Japan 29.0 km
6.4 75 km WSW of Yonakuni, Japan 29.0 km
6.0 133 km E of Miyako, Japan 7.0 km
6.2 142 km E of Miyako, Japan 10.0 km
6.7 83 km ENE of Miyako, Japan 23.0 km
6.2 6 km SSE of Hakuba, Japan 9.0 km
6.1 152 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan 22.0 km
6.1 78 km E of Mutsu, Japan 41.0 km
6.5 139 km ESE of Namie, Japan 20.0 km
6.0 31 km ESE of It?, Japan 153.0 km
6.3 32 km SSW of Hikari, Japan 79.0 km
6.5 109 km NW of Nago, Japan 119.0 km
7.1 off the east coast of Honshu, Japan 35.0 km
6.0 50 km NE of Namie, Japan 39.0 km
6.0 104 km E of Yamada, Japan 14.0 km
6.9 18 km SSW of Obihiro, Japan 107.0 km
6.2 220 km SE of ?funato, Japan 32.0 km
7.3 234 km SE of ?funato, Japan 31.0 km
6.1 100 km E of Miyako, Japan 15.0 km
6.3 19 km SSE of ?funato, Japan 36.0 km
6.1 75 km ESE of ?hara, Japan 15.0 km
6.3 105 km E of Miyako, Japan 11.0 km
6.1 24 km NNE of Miyako, Japan 15.0 km
6.0 5 km SE of Asahi, Japan 10.0 km
6.1 245 km S of Kushiro, Japan 10.0 km
6.9 236 km SSE of Kushiro, Japan 12.0 km
6.2 53 km SSE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan 38.0 km
6.1 35 km ESE of Namie, Japan 34.0 km
6.9 238 km WNW of Naha, Japan 224.9 km

Showing the first 100 of 1,133 significant events.

Countries with similar seismic activity

Comparable catalogued earthquake frequency to Japan.

United States

17,226 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Papua New Guinea

15,636 M4+ events · strongest M7.9

M7.9

Philippines

14,179 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Chile

13,817 M4+ events · strongest M8.3

M8.3

Russia

12,226 M4+ events · strongest M7.8

M7.8

Tonga

10,827 M4+ events · strongest M7.6

M7.6

Understand the data

How earthquakes are measured

Magnitude scales, seismographs, and depth.

Reading earthquake data

Interpreting magnitude, depth and frequency.

Earthquake preparedness

Before, during and after a quake.

Frequently asked questions

How many earthquakes have occurred in Japan? ▼
The USGS catalog records 21,476 earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater in Japan since 2005, an average of about 1,023 per year. Separately, 1,133 significant (M6+) earthquakes are catalogued back to 1900.
What was the strongest earthquake in Japan? ▼
The strongest catalogued earthquake in Japan measured magnitude 9.1. Across the full M4+ catalog the average magnitude is 4.5 - most earthquakes are moderate.
How seismically active is Japan? ▼
By catalogued M4+ activity, Japan ranks 2nd of 215 countries worldwide - among the most seismically active nations on Earth. Its busiest year for major (M6+) events was 2011, with 83.
How deep are earthquakes in Japan? ▼
Across the 1,133 major (M6+) events on record, the average depth is 43 km. 92% were shallow (under 70 km), where surface shaking is strongest at a given magnitude.
Where does this data come from? ▼
Every figure is derived from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat). M4+ counts cover 2005 onward (the period of consistent global completeness); the significant-event series covers M6+ back to 1900. Nothing is modelled or estimated.

About this data

Every figure on this page is computed directly from the USGS Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog (ComCat), the public-domain record maintained by the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program. Two series are combined: a worldwide catalog of magnitude-4.0-and-above events from 2005 onward, the period over which the global seismograph network reliably detects and locates earthquakes everywhere, and a historical series of significant magnitude-6.0-and-above events stretching back to 1900. Magnitudes use the moment-magnitude scale (Mw), the modern standard that supersedes the older Richter scale; because the scale is logarithmic, each whole step represents roughly thirty-two times more energy released. Depth is measured in kilometres from the surface, and shallow earthquakes generally produce stronger shaking than deep ones of the same magnitude. Counts reflect what instruments recorded, not every tremor that occurred, and recent events can be revised as seismologists refine the catalog.

Source: USGS ComCat, verify with USGS → · See our methodology for the full pipeline.

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