Overall Green Earthquake in Japan on 20 Apr 2026 08:32 UTC

GDACS is a cooperation framework between the United Nations, the European Commission and disaster managers worldwide to improve awareness, information exchange and coordination in the first phase after major sudden-onset disasters.

M 5.6 in Japan on 20 Apr 2026 08:32 UTC

Hazard models

Rapid Impact

Shakemap

Tsunami

Event summary

This earthquake is expected to have a low humanitarian impact based on the magnitude and the affected population and their vulnerability.

Earthquake Magnitude:	5.6M
Depth:	24.5 Km
Lat/Lon:	39.6393 , 143.2591
Event Date:	20 Apr 2026 08:32 UTC 20 Apr 2026 18:32 Local
Exposed Population:	2.2 million in MMI III
Source:	NEIC us6000srih
Inserted at:	20 Apr 2026 08:48 UTC
INFORM Coping capacity of the alert score:	1.1 (Japan)

GDACS Score

For more info on GDACS score click here.

	Earthquake (Shakemap)		GDACS score
NEIC	0		0
us6000srih	Scaled population (raster)	0
	C1 shakemap	0
	C2 shakemap	0
	Country Vulnerability	0
	INFORM_normalised	0
	Score no CC	0

Maximum expected impact using different data sources.

ShakeMap is a product of the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program in conjunction with the regional seismic networks. ShakeMaps provide near-real-time maps of ground motion and shaking intensity following significant earthquakes.

Episode Timeline

ID	Level	Score	Date	Mag, Depth	MMI*	Population**	Tsunami risk***	Delay (hh:mm)	Source
1701071		0	20 Apr 2026 08:32	5.6M, 24.5km	3.49	N/A (in MMI>=VII)		00:15	NEIC

The episode that generated the alert; the next major evaluations beyond 12 hours will not trigger additional alerts.

The episode that has the last updated information.

* The max MMI detected for sources having shakemaps;
** The population detected in MMI>=7 for episode with shakemap or in a 100km radius;
*** The tsunami max height.

Exposed population

The earthquake happened in Japan ,of Tohoku (population 9,984,608) . The alertlevel for this event is GREEN

Intensity	Population
	no people

Shakemaps Timeline

Shake id #	episodeid	Lat/Lon	Magnitude	Depth	Max MMI	Date shake (UTC)	Delay (hh:mm)
1	1701071	143.259/39.639	5.6	24.5	3.474	20 Apr 2026 08:55	00:22	(new episode)
2	1701071	143.259/39.639	5.6	24.5	3.474	20 Apr 2026 10:53	02:20	(upd of #1)
3	1701071	143.259/39.639	5.6	24.5	3.49	21 Apr 2026 14:01	1d 05:28	(upd of #2)

Affected Provinces

Intensity	Region Province	Country	Population
	Tohoku	Japan	310000 people
	Tohoku	Japan	<1000 people

Affected populated places. Areas of interest

Name	Region Province	Country	City class	Population	Distance
Taro	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	111 km
Miyako	Iwate	Japan	City	51000 people	111 km
Omoto	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	112 km
Funakoshi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	113 km
Settai	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	113 km
Tsugaruishi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	113 km
Yamada	Iwate	Japan	Village	20000 people	115 km
Neichi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	117 km
Fudai	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	120 km
Noda-Tamagawa	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	129 km
Noda	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	133 km
Kudschi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	141 km
Ofunato	Iwate	Japan	Village	37000 people	147 km
Hiratsudo	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	152 km
Tono	Iwate	Japan	Village	27000 people	152 km
Motoki	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	157 km
Kawaguchi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	157 km
Imaizumi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	159 km
Hitokabe	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	174 km
Hachinohe	Aomori	Japan	City	240000 people	178 km
Kawaguchi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	178 km
Surisawa	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	178 km
Shibutami	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	180 km
Nekkomachi	Iwate	Japan	Village	-	181 km
Ichikawa	Aomori	Japan	Village	-	187 km
Oenokawara	Miyagi	Japan	Village	-	192 km
Nagatsura	Miyagi	Japan	Village	-	201 km
Onagawahama	Miyagi	Japan	Village	-	206 km
Tsukidate	Miyagi	Japan	Village	-	218 km
Takaki	Miyagi	Japan	Village	-	236 km
Kodanosawa	Aomori	Japan	Village	-	236 km
Jogasawa	Aomori	Japan	Village	-	252 km

see full list

Critical infrastructure

Airports, ports, nuclear plants and hydrodams at risk, if affected, are listed below.

Ports

Name	LOCODE	Country	Distance
Miyako	JPMYK	Japan	110 km
Yamada		Japan	113 km
Kamaishi	JPKIS	Japan	125 km
Ofunato	JPOFT	Japan	147 km
Shiogama	JPSGM	Japan	242 km

Dams

Reservoir	Dam Name	River	Year	Distance
Setsukinaidamuko	Setsukinai	Setsukinaigawa	1986	160 km
Sotoyama	Sotoyama	Sotoyamagawa	1943	170 km
Taseko	Tase	Sarugaishigawa	1954	170 km
Tsunatori	Tsunatori	Nagatsugawa	1982	176 km

Nuclear Facilities

Site Name	Type	Name	Country	Distance
Site-Onagawa	Nuclear Power Reactor	Onagawa-2	Japan	205 km
Site-Onagawa	Nuclear Power Reactor	Onagawa-3	Japan	205 km
Site-Onagawa	Nuclear Power Plant	Onagawa-1	Japan	205 km
Site-Higashi Dori	Nuclear Power Reactor	Higashi Dori-1	Japan	234 km

More information

For a full list of available products related to this event, please refer to the GDACS Resources page.

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