Earthquake Archive
Past major earthquakes: seismic intensity, recovery time, and media exposure — all on record.
Earthquake Risk & History by Prefecture
Click a prefecture to see its location, active fault lines, earthquake history, and research reports. Bold = popular travel destinations.
Hokkaido
Tohoku
Kanto
Chubu
Kinki
Chugoku
Kyushu
Okinawa
Major Sea Areas & Offshore Zones
Major Earthquake Case Records
- 이바라키현 남부 M5.5 지진이바라키현 남부 · M5.5 · Int. 5-
이바라키현 남부 규모 5.5 진도 5약
- Recovery time
- 0h
- Peak news count
- 7
- 동해 북부 M5.6 지진동해 북부 · M5.6 · Pending
동해 북부 규모 5.6 미발표
- Recovery time
- 0h
- Peak news count
- 1
- 동해 북부 M5.6 지진동해 북부 · M5.6 · Pending
동해 북부 규모 5.6 미발표
- Recovery time
- 0h
- Peak news count
- 7
- Great East Japan Earthquake (M9.0) — Mar 11, 2011Off Miyagi (Sanriku offshore) · M9.0 · Int. 7
Japan's largest recorded earthquake at M9.0. Massive tsunamis over 14 m struck the Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima coasts, with isolated run-up exceeding 40 m. Over 22,000 dead or missing. The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant suffered hydrogen explosions and core meltdowns. Widespread infrastructure damage across Tohoku and Kanto.
- Recovery time
- 10+ yr
- Peak news count
- 2,100
- Kumamoto Earthquake (M7.3) — Apr 16, 2016Kumamoto, Kumamoto Pref. · M7.3 · Int. 7
A M6.5 foreshock on April 14 (itself Intensity 7) was followed by the M7.3 main shock in the early hours of April 16. Two Seismic Intensity 7 events in a single sequence — a first in JMA history. Major collapse of Kumamoto Castle stone walls; Aso Bridge fell into the gorge.
- Recovery time
- 1+ mo
- Peak news count
- 451
- Hokkaido Eastern Iburi Earthquake (M6.7) — Sep 6, 2018Iburi E, Hokkaido · M6.7 · Int. 7
Struck at 3 AM while most residents were asleep. Japan's first total island-wide blackout: 2.95 million Hokkaido households lost power simultaneously. A massive landslide buried the Oyafuru district of Atsuma Town. New Chitose Airport closed entirely on the day of the quake.
- Recovery time
- 14 days
- Peak news count
- 389
- Fukushima Earthquake (M7.3) — Feb 13, 2021Off Fukushima · M7.3 · Int. 6+
Classified as an aftershock of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Seismic Intensity 6+ in Fukushima and Miyagi. Struck late at night while people were asleep. Tohoku Shinkansen resumed within 48 hours after inspection.
- Recovery time
- 2 days
- Peak news count
- 278
- Fukushima–Miyagi Earthquake (M7.4) — Mar 16, 2022Off Fukushima / Miyagi · M7.4 · Int. 6+
Struck late at night. Yamabiko 223, a 17-car Tohoku Shinkansen train, derailed between Fukushima and Shiroishizao with 16 cars off the rails. All approximately 100 passengers evacuated safely with no injuries. 2.23 million households lost power.
- Recovery time
- 5 days
- Peak news count
- 312
- Oku-Noto Earthquake (M6.5) — May 5, 2023Noto Peninsula N, Ishikawa · M6.5 · Int. 6+
Struck during the Golden Week holiday. Seismic Intensity 6+ in Suzu and Wajima on the Noto Peninsula. Multiple injuries and building damage. Retrospectively identified as the largest event in the foreshock sequence preceding the 2024 Noto earthquake.
- Recovery time
- 3 days
- Peak news count
- 156
- Noto Peninsula Earthquake (M7.6) — Jan 1, 2024Noto Peninsula, Ishikawa · M7.6 · Int. 7
Struck on New Year's Day afternoon. Seismic Intensity 7 in Shika Town, Ishikawa Prefecture. Major tsunami warning for the entire Noto Peninsula. Simultaneous fires and building collapses in Wajima and Suzu. Road failures left multiple communities briefly isolated.
- Recovery time
- 3+ mo
- Peak news count
- 487