Japan experiences earthquakes very frequently due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where multiple tectonic plates converge.
Approximately 5,000 earthquakes of varying magnitudes strike Japan each year, with over half being minor tremors between 3.0 and 3.9 on the Richter scale that often go unnoticed. Around 160 quakes annually reach magnitude 5.0 or higher, causing noticeable shaking, while major events (magnitude 6+) occur several times per year within a 300 km radius.
In 2025 so far, over 1,600 significant quakes have been detected nearby, averaging about 1,000 quakes of magnitude 4+ yearly, or one every 8 hours in recent decades. Destructive quakes capable of significant damage or tsunamis happen several times per century.
