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Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake Strikes Off Miyagi Coast in Tohoku
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck off the coast of Miyagi Prefecture at 8:22 p.m. on May 15, 2026, registering a lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in several cities. No tsunami threat was issued and there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The Tohoku Shinkansen Line was temporarily suspended but service was expected to resume later that evening.
May 15, 7:35 AM·1m read1 source
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A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the Tohoku region on the evening of May 15, 2026. m. following an emergency earthquake warning for the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. The temblor registered a lower 5 on Japan's seismic intensity scale in the Miyagi Prefecture cities of Tome, Osaki and Ishinomaki.
A swath of Miyagi and Iwate prefectures recorded a 4 on the scale. There was no threat of a tsunami. The Tohoku Shinkansen Line was temporarily suspended between Tokyo and Shin-Aomori stations after the quake, according to JR East. m. Some trains on the Yamagata Shinkansen remained suspended.
No immediate reports of injuries or damage were received. The quake was the largest to strike the Tohoku region since a magnitude 7.7 event on April 20 that prompted a tsunami alert and a rare special advisory warning of an increased risk of major earthquakes.
Japan uses its own shindo scale to measure earthquake intensity at specific locations rather than relying solely on magnitude. The lower 5 intensity recorded in parts of Miyagi indicates shaking strong enough to make it difficult to stand or move without support in some cases.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued an emergency earthquake warning prior to the main shock. Such warnings are intended to give people seconds to take protective action. Detailed information about the earthquake's location remains available on the agency's website.
