A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck Japan’s Kyushu region on Tuesday, according to data from the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ), as reported by Reuters. The shallow quake occurred at a depth of approximately 10 km (6.21 miles), a factor that can increase the intensity of ground shaking.
Authorities have not immediately issued any tsunami warning, and no major damage has been reported so far. Seismographs across the region recorded the tremors, highlighting Japan’s continued vulnerability to seismic activity.
Earlier this month, Japan issued a tsunami advisory for Iwate prefecture following a 6.8-magnitude offshore earthquake. The country remains highly alert to seismic threats due to its history of devastating natural disasters.
Japan’s most catastrophic recent earthquake occurred in 2011, when a massive 9.0-magnitude undersea quake triggered a deadly tsunami, resulting in approximately 18,500 deaths or missing persons. The disaster also caused meltdowns at three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, marking the world’s worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl.
Situated on four major tectonic plates along the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Japan is among the world’s most earthquake-prone nations. The country experiences around 1,500 quakes each year, most of which are minor, though impact varies based on depth, distance, and local geography.
Authorities continue to monitor seismic activity in the Kyushu region as aftershocks remain possible.
