In brief
A 5.4‑magnitude earthquake struck the northeast coast of Honshu on Oct. 29, 2026, with the GFZ identifying the epicenter at a depth of 49.4 km. Japanese sources initially cited a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 that later settled at 5.4, noting no tsunami threat and a lower‑5 intensity across Chiba.
A 5.4‑magnitude earthquake struck the northeast coast of Honshu, Japan at 15:07 GMT on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2026, according to the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences.
The research centre identified the epicenter at a depth of 49.4 km, with coordinates 35.67° N, 140.59° E.
Kyodo News reported that a preliminary magnitude of 5.5 hit the northeastern part of Chiba Prefecture early Thursday morning, citing lower‑5 intensity on the Japanese seismic intensity scale and a depth of roughly 52 km.
Later updates from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) revised the magnitude to 5.4, maintaining the depth estimate of about 50 km and confirming a lower‑5 intensity reading.
The JMA also issued an automated earthquake alert, noting that no tsunami warning was required for the event that occurred at 12:07 a.m. local time.
Shaking was felt throughout Chiba Prefecture and in neighboring regions, including Tokyo, Tochigi, Ibaraki and Saitama, with the strongest impacts recorded in Yokoshibahikari.
