Magnitude 5.6 earthquake — Noda, Japan

A magnitude 5.6 earthquake occurred offshore, about 42 km east of Noda in Iwate Prefecture, northern Japan, at 17:57 UTC on 8 August 2026 (02:57 on 9 August local time). The reviewed USGS solution placed the hypocentre at a depth of 34 km, at approximately 40.1723°N, 142.3107°E. The event was measured at moment magnitude 5.6 and was associated with light-to-moderate shaking in the surrounding area rather than severe ground motion.

The USGS’s impact assessment was green, indicating a low likelihood of significant casualties or economic losses. The UN and European Commission’s Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System likewise assessed the expected humanitarian impact as low, estimating that roughly 310,000 people may have experienced intensity-IV shaking; it recorded no population exposure at the strongest damaging intensity category. Available reporting did not establish damage or casualty figures, so the assessment concerns expected impact rather than a confirmed absence of effects.