M4.6 earthquake near Kutchan, Hokkaido

What happened

A magnitude 4.6 earthquake struck 21 km SW of Iwanai, Japan on 15 Dec 2022, 04:30 UTC at a depth of 12 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Light. Widely felt nearby; objects may shake or fall. Significant damage is unusual. This was a shallow earthquake, which tends to be felt more strongly at the surface.

The nearest town in our records is Kutchan, about 35 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.