Japan earthquakes

M6.1 earthquake 79 km SSW of Honchō, Japan

A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck 79 km SSW of Honchō, Japan on Fri, May 17, 1968, 5:22 AM JST (20:22 UTC), 33 km (20 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M6.6 141 km ENE of Kuji, Japan. This one was a foreshock.

Shizunai-furukawachō forecastMore in Japan

Map

Where this earthquake was located, with the others nearby. Select one for its page.

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The earthquake

Magnitude
6.1 (mw), strong
Local time
UTC
1968-05-16 20:22:15 UTC
Depth
32.7 km (20.3 mi), shallow
Epicenter
41.441° N, 142.665° E
Region
Japan
Strongest shaking
IV, light shaking
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Shaking

The USGS ShakeMap: shaking estimated from seismic stations and the quake’s size, on the Modified Mercalli intensity scale.

Strongest estimated
IV, light shaking
Peak ground acceleration
3.1% of gravity
Peak ground velocity
1.1 cm/s
Map
Automatic
USGS ShakeMap: estimated shaking intensity around the epicenter
Estimated shaking intensity. Map: USGS ShakeMap.

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Magnitude uncertainty
±0.23
Depth from
From location

Nearest places

Distance and direction from each place to the epicenter, with its forecast.

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 3.1 and up: 11 in the 60 days after this one and 8 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.768 km S of Honchō, Japan · 21319 days ago · 45 km deep · 28 km away
  2. 6.1137 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21316 days ago · 37 km deep · 80 km away
  3. 5.6124 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21315 days ago · 28 km deep · 90 km away
  4. 5.573 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21314 days ago · 27 km deep · 41 km away
  5. 6.069 km S of Honchō, Japan · 21314 days ago · 50 km deep · 28 km away
  6. 6.6141 km ENE of Kuji, Japan · 21311 days ago · 27 km deep · 77 km away
  7. 5.6146 km ENE of Kuji, Japan · 21310 days ago · 28 km deep · 98 km away
  8. 5.574 km S of Honchō, Japan · 21304 days ago · 23 km deep · 14 km away
  9. 5.887 km SSW of Honchō, Japan · 21298 days ago · 47 km deep · 8 km away
  10. 6.3121 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21288 days ago · 41 km deep · 63 km away
  11. 5.811 km SSW of Honchō, Japan · 21279 days ago · 48 km deep · 69 km away

Before

  1. 6.1111 km S of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan · 21319 days ago · 43 km deep · 11 km away
  2. 5.768 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan · 21319 days ago · 59 km deep · 79 km away
  3. 7.970 km S of Honchō, Japan · 21320 days ago · 31 km deep · 17 km away
  4. 6.173 km SSW of Honchō, Japan · 21320 days ago · 30 km deep · 6 km away
  5. 6.1114 km SSE of Honchō, Japan · 21320 days ago · 42 km deep · 57 km away
  6. 6.0165 km SE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan · 21320 days ago · 25 km deep · 79 km away
  7. 8.21968 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake · 21320 days ago · 27 km deep · 85 km away
  8. 5.7106 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan · 21334 days ago · 20 km deep · 62 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event iscgem822175. Read Tue, Sep 29, 2026, 1:31 AM UTC.