Earthquake with Shindo 4 Strikes Southwest Nagasaki

At approximately 11:17 AM on July 25, 2025, an earthquake originated in southwestern Nagasaki Prefecture. The earthquake registered a maximum intensity of Shindo 4 in Isahaya City, Unzen City, and the Shimabara Peninsula, all within Nagasaki Prefecture.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), the earthquake had an estimated magnitude (M) of 4.7 and occurred at a depth of approximately 10 km. The JMA announced that there is no risk of a tsunami from this earthquake.

Following the earthquake, Kyushu Electric Power Company confirmed the operational status of the Genkai Nuclear Power Plant and the Sendai Nuclear Power Plant. They reported that both nuclear power plants are operating normally with no abnormalities detected at this time. Transportation also experienced some disruptions, with certain arriving flights for ORC and Skymark at Nagasaki Airport experiencing delays of up to 17 minutes.

Earthquakes with an intensity of Shindo 3 or higher in southwestern Nagasaki Prefecture are considered rare, with the last occurrences being in 2008 and 2009. Meteorological authorities are urging continued caution, as aftershocks remain a possibility.

The context

Nagasaki Prefecture is located on the island of Kyushu in southwestern Japan. Earthquakes are a frequent occurrence across Japan due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. The Shindo scale, often referred to as the JMA Seismic Intensity Scale, measures the actual shaking experienced at the Earth's surface, distinct from the Richter magnitude scale which quantifies the energy released by an earthquake. A Shindo 4 earthquake indicates a moderate level of shaking, where most people are startled and unsecured objects may fall.

The mention of the Genkai and Sendai Nuclear Power Plants is significant, as Japan has stringent safety protocols for its nuclear facilities, especially following the Fukushima Daiichi disaster in 2011. Checks on nuclear plant operations are standard procedure after any significant seismic event. While earthquakes are common in Japan, a Shindo 3 or higher tremor in this particular region of Nagasaki Prefecture is considered infrequent, making this event noteworthy for local residents and authorities.

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