M 5.0 Earthquake 38 km E of Nobeoka, Japan

Source: USGS · Japan

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake was recorded by USGS near 38 km E of Nobeoka. On the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program scale, M5.0 is classified "Moderate". Among the 1,782 earthquake reports Areazine has published, this M5.0 event ranks stronger than 55% of them (rank #627 by magnitude).

The earthquake report, at a glance

Magnitude
M 5.0
USGS class
Moderate
Location
38 km E of Nobeoka
Archive rank
#627 of 1,782
Source
USGS
Published
September 21, 2026
MODERATE

Sits above 55% of the 1,782 earthquakes in the archive by magnitude; 626 ran stronger.

Record status: a snapshot from USGS, not a final record. Check USGS's own event page for aftershocks and any later revision to the magnitude shown here.

What Happened

A magnitude 5.0 mb earthquake struck 38 km E of Nobeoka, Japan on 2026-09-20 at 12:58:32 UTC. The event occurred at a depth of 42.736 km.

Location Details

The epicenter was located at coordinates 32.5978 N, 132.0805 E. This depth classifies as intermediate (20-70 km).

Impact Assessment

No felt reports were recorded. There was no tsunami advisory (tsunami flag: 0) and no alert level assigned.

What You Should Know

This was a moderate earthquake. Aftershocks are possible following events of this size.

Source

https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us7000tixp (USGS)

Original source: USGS Official Notice ↗

All Earthquakes →

Nationwide notices with similar length or severity timing 8

Beyond this USGS earthquake report's own category, Areazine surfaces two nationwide peer sets: length-matched and severity/date-matched notices from elsewhere in the archive, distinct from the same-feed Related list above.

Frequently Asked Questions

What people usually ask about a notice like this one.

How strong was this earthquake?
A magnitude 5.0 mb earthquake occurred 38 km east of Nobeoka, Japan at a depth of 42.7 km.
What does a magnitude 5.0 ("Moderate") earthquake mean?
The USGS classifies M5.0 as "Moderate" on its Earthquake Hazards Program scale. Events in this range are often felt near the epicenter and can cause minor damage to vulnerable structures, though widespread damage is uncommon.
Is this earthquake stronger or weaker than others in the archive?
This is the #627 strongest of the 1,782 earthquake reports in Areazine's archive by magnitude, stronger than 55% of them and weaker than 626 others.
Was Nobeoka likely to feel this earthquake?
This event was centered 38 km E of Nobeoka. Shaking intensity falls off sharply with distance from the epicenter and depends on depth and local geology, so check the USGS "Did You Feel It?" report for this event for real felt-shaking data rather than assuming from magnitude and distance alone.