M6.8 Earthquake near 福岡, 日本 — 13 January 2025
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 was recorded near 福岡, 日本 on , with an epicentre 11 km east-southeast of Miyazaki, at a focal depth of 48.9 km. It ranked as the 2nd strongest of 2 earthquakes recorded in 日本 in the preceding 30 days.
Time (UTC): 2025-01-13 12:19:33
Time (your timezone): —
Magnitude: 6.8 (strong)
Focal depth: 48.9 km (shallow)
Epicentre: 31.8596, 131.5190
Location: 11 km ESE of Miyazaki, Japan
Country: 日本
USGS link to NOAA tsunami information: Available
Review status: Reviewed
Source: USGS event page
How strong was this earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239,006 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
The USGS assigns this earthquake a significance score of 714, which meets the USGS threshold of more than 600 for its significant-earthquake list. The ranking combines magnitude with available Did You Feel It responses and PAGER alert level; it is not a direct measurement of damage.
Where was the epicentre?
The epicentre was located at 31.8596, 131.5190 — 11 km east-southeast of Miyazaki. The closest other recorded event was a magnitude 4.5 earthquake 29 km east-northeast of here on 06 November 2025.
Why the 49 km depth matters
At 49 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the tsunami information flag mean?
The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.
How earthquakes generate tsunamis, and what the alert levels mean →
Aftershocks and local seismic history
2 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.5.
60 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.1 event near Uki on 28 July 2026. This M6.8 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.
How long aftershock sequences last, and how large they get →
Where this event sits in the record
This earthquake is part of the January 2025 worldwide record, and of earthquakes in 日本 during January 2025. Browse the full monthly archive to compare periods.
Nearest recorded earthquakes to this epicentre
- M4.5 earthquake near Takanabe, Japan — (29 km ENE)
- M5.6 earthquake near Takanabe, Japan — (30 km NE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Tsunō, Japan — (40 km NE)
- M4.4 earthquake near Takanabe, Japan — (40 km ENE)
- M4.8 earthquake near Tsunō, Japan — (41 km NE)
- M4.9 earthquake near Tsunō, Japan — (46 km ENE)
- M5.2 earthquake near Tsunō, Japan — (48 km ENE)
- M4.7 earthquake near Nichinan, Japan — (50 km S)
- M4.4 earthquake near Kushima, Japan — (53 km SSW)
- M4.9 earthquake near Nichinan, Japan — (56 km ESE)
Other recent earthquakes in 日本
Other magnitude 6 earthquakes worldwide
- M7.1 earthquake near Uki, Japan —
- M7.1 earthquake near Uki, Japan —
- M6.8 earthquake near Uto, Japan —
- M6.7 earthquake near southeast of the Loyalty Islands —
- M6.5 earthquake near Lorengau, Papua New Guinea —
- M6.7 earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines —
- M6.5 earthquake near Sarangani, Philippines —
- M6.9 earthquake near Kuji, Japan —
Questions about this earthquake
How strong is a magnitude 6.8 earthquake?
Strong earthquakes can cause significant damage in populated areas within roughly 100 km of the epicentre, particularly to older masonry buildings. Landslides and liquefaction become a real risk in susceptible ground. A magnitude 6.8 earthquake radiates roughly 239,006 tons of TNT equivalent in seismic energy.
How deep was the earthquake near 福岡?
At 49 km this was a shallow earthquake. Shallow events release their energy close to the surface, so for a given magnitude they produce noticeably stronger shaking — and more damage — than deeper ones. Roughly three quarters of all earthquakes worldwide occur at shallow depths.
Was the M6.8 earthquake near 福岡 felt?
This catalogue does not ingest eyewitness responses, so it cannot confirm where this earthquake was felt. Based on magnitude alone, an event this size can produce strong, widely felt shaking. Its shallow focus makes stronger surface shaking more likely than for a deeper event of the same magnitude.
What does the USGS tsunami field mean for this event?
The USGS event record links to NOAA tsunami information because this was a large event in an oceanic region. That link flag does not mean a tsunami occurred or that a warning is active. Check tsunami.gov and instructions from your local authority for the current status of your coastline.
Have there been aftershocks?
2 further earthquakes have been recorded within about 150 km of the epicentre in the seven days after this event, the largest of them magnitude 5.5.
How often do earthquakes happen near 福岡?
60 earthquakes of magnitude 4 or above have been logged within roughly 200 km of this epicentre in our catalogue. The strongest was a magnitude 7.1 event near Uki on 28 July 2026. This M6.8 event released about 2.8 times less energy than that event.