Earthquakes in Japan — May 2026

57 earthquakes were recorded in Japan during May 2026, an average of 1.8 per day.

57 reached magnitude 4 or above and 7 reached magnitude 5 or above. The average focal depth was 103 km.

The month's largest event in Japan was a magnitude 6.7 earthquake near Ōfunato, Japan on 15 May 2026 at 11:22 UTC. A magnitude 6.7 earthquake radiates roughly 169,203 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.

That is close to the Japan monthly average of 57 events over the period we cover, and down from the 67 recorded the previous month.

65% of events here are shallow (under 70 km), 23% intermediate (70–300 km) and 12% deep-focus (over 300 km). That proportion of deep-focus events is the signature of a subduction zone: only a cold slab descending into the mantle stays brittle enough to rupture at those depths.

By band, the catalogue holds 50 in the magnitude 4 range, 6 in the magnitude 5 range, 1 in the magnitude 6 range.

Activity peaked on 31 May, when 5 events were recorded.

The month's largest events were M6.7 near Ōfunato, Japan on 15 May at 44 km; M5.9 near China, Japan on 20 May at 50 km; M5.7 near Kōya, Japan on 02 May at 59 km.

That is close to the 57 events Japan averages per month across the 21 months on record.