The ground in Japan hasn't really stopped moving since the year began. Honestly, if you live there, you're used to the occasional sway of a pendant light or the subtle rattle of a sliding door. But January 2026 has felt a little different. It’s been busy.
Between the 6.2 magnitude shake in Shimane and the more recent tremors rattling Toyama and Hokkaido, the latest news about the earthquake in Japan has people checking their emergency kits again.
The Shimane Shake: A Rough Start to January
On the morning of January 6, 2026, western Japan got a wake-up call. At 10:18 AM local time, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck with an epicenter in eastern Shimane Prefecture. It wasn't just a "did you feel that?" moment. In places like Matsue and Yasugi, the intensity hit an "Upper 5" on the Japanese Shindo scale.
That’s strong enough to make it hard to walk.
Heavy furniture moved. Some things fell over. But Japan is, frankly, a beast when it comes to infrastructure. Despite the magnitude, there were no reports of widespread destruction. Four people ended up in the hospital with minor injuries, mostly from falling objects or small slips during the panic.
The Shinkansen bullet trains between Okayama and Hiroshima hit the brakes automatically—as they’re designed to do—causing a few hours of headaches for travelers. By 1:00 PM, though, the tracks were cleared and the "all clear" was given. No tsunami risk was ever detected, which was the big sigh of relief for the coastal towns.
Toyama and the "Shallow" Shudders
Fast forward to January 15. The focus shifted to Toyama Prefecture. This one was smaller—a 4.7 magnitude—but because it was "very shallow," the shaking felt much sharper than the numbers might suggest.
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It hit at 2:40 PM.
It’s these kinds of quakes that keep the national conversation on preparedness alive. Experts from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) were quick to point out that while this specific event didn't cause damage, it occurred in a region still reflecting on the massive 2024 Noto Peninsula disaster.
Why the Shindo Scale Matters More Than Magnitude
You’ve probably seen the Richter scale used everywhere, but in Japan, everyone talks about "Shindo."
Magnitude measures the energy at the source. Shindo measures how much the ground actually shakes where you are standing. It goes from 0 to 7. An Upper 5 (like in Shimane) means books fall off shelves. A 7 means buildings that aren't reinforced might collapse.
- Magnitude 6.2 (Shimane): Powerful energy, but deep enough or situated such that "Upper 5" was the max impact.
- Magnitude 4.7 (Toyama): Smaller energy, but "Level 4" intensity because it was so close to the surface.
Recovery and the Shadow of 2025
We can't talk about current news about the earthquake in Japan without mentioning the late 2025 Aomori quake. On December 8, 2025, a massive 7.6 magnitude hit off the coast of Aomori. It was a big one. It injured 47 people and damaged nearly 4,000 buildings.
Recovery is still happening there.
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Schools in Hokkaido and Aomori are still dealing with the aftermath of cracked ceilings and burst pipes. The JMA even issued a "Subsequent Earthquake Advisory" back then, which is a rare move. It basically warns that when a 7+ hits, the chance of a bigger one increases from 0.1% to about 1% for the following week.
That tension hasn't fully evaporated.
The Tokyo "Megaquake" Report
In late December 2025, a government report dropped a bit of a bombshell regarding the Greater Tokyo Area. They’re calling a potential major quake there a "national-scale disaster."
The problem isn't just the shaking. It’s the people.
Tokyo is so dense that even if 90% of houses are now earthquake-resistant (up from 79% in 2008), the sheer volume of people means at least 4.8 million residents could become evacuees.
Think about that.
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That is the entire population of some small countries suddenly needing a place to sleep. The report also highlighted a new modern danger: smartphones. While they are great for alerts, they also spread misinformation faster than the seismic waves themselves.
What You Should Actually Do
If you’re looking at the news about the earthquake in Japan and wondering if it's safe to travel or how to stay ready, the advice from local experts like Professor Hitoshi Ieda is pretty straightforward.
Stop worrying about the "Big One" and start fixing the small things.
Only about 35% of households have their furniture anchored to the walls. That’s the number one cause of injury in these January quakes. Also, seismic circuit breakers—which cut power automatically so your house doesn't burn down from a knocked-over heater—are only in about 30% of homes.
Actionable Steps for Staying Safe:
- Anchor your stuff: Use L-brackets or tension rods for tall wardrobes.
- Keep a paper map: If the cell towers go down (which they did briefly in parts of Aomori), Google Maps won't help you find the evacuation center.
- Cash is king: Power outages mean credit card machines and ATMs are useless. Keep 10,000 to 20,000 yen in small bills in your "go-bag."
- Download the "Yurekuru Call" or JMA app: These give you those precious few seconds of warning before the shaking starts.
The reality of living in the Ring of Fire is that the news about the earthquake in Japan is never really "over." It's just a cycle of preparation, occurrence, and recovery. Stay vigilant, keep your shoes near the bed (in case of broken glass), and always check the official JMA updates rather than social media rumors.