M4.2 earthquake near Kutchan, Hokkaido

What happened

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake struck 4 km NW of Rusutsu, Japan on 4 Jan 2023, 10:40 UTC at a depth of 151 km.

Earthquakes of this size are classed as Light. Widely felt nearby; objects may shake or fall. Significant damage is unusual. This was an intermediate-depth earthquake, so shaking is spread over a wider, gentler area.

The nearest town in our records is Kutchan, about 17 km away in Hokkaido, Japan.