Japan earthquakes

M4.5 earthquake 140 km ESE of ?funato, Japan

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 140 km ESE of ?funato, Japan on Mon, Jan 19, 1981, 10:29 AM JST (01:29 UTC), 33 km (21 mi) below the surface.

A larger quake followed: M5.4 119 km SE of Kamaishi, Japan. This one was a foreshock.

Ōfunato 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
4.5 (mb), light
Local time
UTC
1981-01-19 01:29:17 UTC
Depth
33.0 km (20.5 mi), shallow
Epicenter
38.476° N, 143.148° E
Region
Japan
Tsunami flag
No
Status
Reviewed by a seismologist

Did you feel it?

No one has reported feeling this quake to the USGS.

How well it is located

Reviewed by a seismologist.

Depth from
OPERATOR_ASSIGNED
Stations used
8

Nearest places

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

Nearby

Within 100 km, magnitude 1.5 and up: 17 in the 60 days after this one and 11 in the 30 days before it.

After

  1. 5.4119 km SE of Kamaishi, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 24 km away
  2. 5.2118 km SE of ?funato, Japan · 16682 days ago · 33 km deep · 32 km away
  3. 4.7146 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16682 days ago · 33 km deep · 7 km away
  4. 4.7158 km SE of Kamaishi, Japan · 16682 days ago · 33 km deep · 20 km away
  5. 4.5109 km ESE of Kamaishi, Japan · 16682 days ago · 33 km deep · 43 km away
  6. 5.1129 km SE of Kamaishi, Japan · 16680 days ago · 32 km deep · 18 km away
  7. 4.7123 km ESE of Kamaishi, Japan · 16679 days ago · 33 km deep · 24 km away
  8. 6.4122 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan · 16679 days ago · 20 km deep · 51 km away
  9. 5.9132 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan · 16678 days ago · 33 km deep · 49 km away
  10. 4.555 km ESE of Kamaishi, Japan · 16677 days ago · 54 km deep · 87 km away
  11. 4.2107 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan · 16675 days ago · 89 km deep · 59 km away
  12. 4.4166 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16674 days ago · 33 km deep · 26 km away
  13. 5.7127 km ESE of Yamada, Japan · 16647 days ago · 33 km deep · 69 km away
  14. 4.7132 km ESE of Yamada, Japan · 16647 days ago · 29 km deep · 76 km away
  15. 5.7121 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16646 days ago · 33 km deep · 22 km away
  16. 5.0147 km SE of ?funato, Japan · 16645 days ago · 17 km deep · 16 km away
  17. 4.780 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16639 days ago · 55 km deep · 61 km away

Before

  1. 6.1113 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 27 km away
  2. 4.9158 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 21 km away
  3. 4.8132 km SE of Kamaishi, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 14 km away
  4. 5.179 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 61 km away
  5. 5.0103 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 37 km away
  6. 6.9101 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 39 km away
  7. 6.2110 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 31 km away
  8. 5.4118 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 39 km deep · 23 km away
  9. 5.3129 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 12 km away
  10. 5.9126 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 15 km away
  11. 5.8126 km ESE of ?funato, Japan · 16683 days ago · 33 km deep · 15 km away

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Sources

From the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program and its partner networks, event usp0001bt0. Read Tue, Sep 22, 2026, 7:49 PM UTC.