Japan Earthquake Tracker
Live earthquake activity across Japan from the Japan Meteorological Agency, with plain-English guidance on what the numbers mean and what to do.
Seismic activity
The last 7 days
Strong shaking was recorded in the last 7 days. Check the details below and follow official JMA guidance for the affected area.
- Last 24 hours
- 4earthquakes
- Last 7 days
- 38earthquakes since Thu 29 Oct
- Strongest shaking
- Shindo 5-M5.4Northeastern Chiba Prefecture
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency and P2PQuake, collected every 5 minutes, with duplicate reports merged. Figures as of Wed 4 Nov, 20:59 JST. Official warnings come from JMA.
What should I do in an earthquake?
During the shaking
- Drop, cover and hold on: get under a sturdy desk or table.
- Stay away from glass, windows and heavy furniture.
- If outside, move to an open area away from buildings and power lines.
- Do not rush for the exit if you are in a crowded place.
After the shaking stops
- Check for injuries and give first aid.
- Turn off gas valves and unplug appliances.
- Open doors and windows to keep an exit route clear.
- Evacuate if there is a tsunami warning or a risk of fire. Check JMA tsunami information.
Emergency numbers
- Police110
- Fire / Ambulance119
- Coast Guard118
Most emergency operators in Japan can connect you to an English interpreter.
Official warnings: follow the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) and listen to NHK World for emergency broadcasts in several languages. Japanist is not an official warning service.
Where were the latest earthquakes?
Connecting to JMA…
Latest reports
How active has Japan been recently?
Earthquakes per day (10/29 – 11/4)
Loading daily counts (JST)…
- 810/29
- 610/30
- 710/31
- 611/1
- 411/2
- 311/3
- 411/4
Latest strong earthquakes (Shindo 5− and above)
No strong earthquakes (Shindo 5− and above) in our records
The Japan Meteorological Agency has not reported shaking at this level recently.
Responsible for staff or a business in Japan?
Earthquakes are a planning issue as well as a personal one. These parts of our complete earthquake guide are the most useful for keeping staff safe and keeping a business running. They are built on official data from JMA, the Cabinet Office and other government agencies.
- What the early warning can and cannot do Why staff near the epicentre may feel shaking before the phone alert sounds, and how tsunami warnings work.
- The hazards after the shaking Aftershocks can equal the main shock, and fire, gas leaks, landslides and hidden structural damage can follow for days.
- What to do, place by place Clear steps for shops, restaurants, hotels, trains and lifts, useful for staff briefings.
- Reaching people when networks are overloaded Why voice calls fail first, and the disaster message board and 171 services you can practise in advance.
- Checking an office or site: 1981 and 2000 The two building-standard dates that tell you how a property is likely to perform.
- The Nankai Trough: a long-term planning risk What the official 30-year estimates mean, what a Nankai advisory asks of you, and why exact-date predictions cannot be trusted.
What does Shindo mean?
Japan rates earthquakes with two numbers. Magnitude (for example M5.9) is the energy released at the source. Shindo, the JMA seismic intensity scale, is how strongly the ground shook at a given place, on 10 levels from 0 to 7. One quake has a single magnitude but a different Shindo in every town, so Shindo is the number that tells you what it felt like where you are.
- Shindo 1–2
Felt slightly by some people in quiet buildings. Hanging objects may swing slightly.
- Shindo 3–4
Felt by most people. Dishes rattle and sleeping people wake up. Unstable objects may fall.
- Shindo 5− and 5+
Many people find it hard to move. Dishes and books fall. Heavy furniture can move or topple, and unreinforced concrete-block walls may collapse.
- Shindo 6− to 7
Hard or impossible to stay standing. Major structural damage; older wooden houses may collapse and large cracks can open in the ground.
More detail, with official JMA data: magnitude and Shindo in our complete guide.
About this data
Where does this earthquake data come from?
- From the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), with P2PQuake as a second feed. When both feeds report the same earthquake, we merge the reports so it is counted once.
How often is this page updated?
- We collect new reports every 5 minutes. While you have the page open, the map and list check for new data every minute.
Is this an official earthquake warning service?
- No. Japanist is not an official warning service. For official earthquake and tsunami warnings, follow the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) at jma.go.jp, and listen to NHK World for emergency broadcasts in several languages.