Earthquakes in Japan Today
Four tectonic plates meet beneath the Japanese archipelago: the Pacific plate dives into the Japan and Kuril trenches along the eastern seaboard, while the Philippine Sea plate underthrusts the Nankai Trough to the south. That geometry produced the Mw 9.1 Tohoku megathrust of 2011 and keeps a Nankai rupture among the most closely monitored hazards on Earth.
Danger Level (72h)
72-hour composite hazard forecast
Recent Quakes (30d)
Recorded in the last 30 days
Max Magnitude (30d)
Largest earthquake in the last 30 days
Recent earthquakes
Counts cover the seismic belts this platform monitors in Japan, not its administrative borders. A monitored belt can reach across a border, and events there are listed with the country of their epicentre.
Volcanoes of Japan
2 dedicated profiles · 116 Holocene volcanoes in total
Tectonic setting
Four tectonic plates meet beneath the Japanese archipelago: the Pacific plate dives into the Japan and Kuril trenches along the eastern seaboard, while the Philippine Sea plate underthrusts the Nankai Trough to the south. That geometry produced the Mw 9.1 Tohoku megathrust of 2011 and keeps a Nankai rupture among the most closely monitored hazards on Earth.
Frequently asked questions
What is the emergency number in Japan?
The emergency number in Japan is 119, answered by Fire and Disaster Management Agency. After strong shaking, keep the line free for those trapped or injured and check official channels for aftershock and tsunami advisories.
Who monitors earthquakes in Japan?
The national seismic authority is Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). EarthquakeLive cross-checks its bulletins against 18 international networks, so an event may appear here with a slightly different magnitude until the agencies converge on a final solution.