Japan’s Kyushu Island Struck by 7.1 Earthquake, Killing 13 and Shifting Land

A magnitude‑7.1 earthquake hit Japan’s southern island of Kyushu at the end of July 2026. Reuters reported at least 13 fatalities, widespread building collapses, a fire and an explosion at a shopping centre, and authorities issued a tsunami warning.

Scientists from the University of Chicago, analysing GPS and seismic data, found that the quake caused an eastward shift of Japan’s islands by about half a centimetre. The shift resulted from an intense seismic wave that traveled to the Earth’s core and reflected back to the surface, a phenomenon described by seismologist Sunyoung Park. The researchers noted the movement continued offshore, where measurements are limited.

The event echoes the March 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that triggered the Fukushima nuclear disaster, underscoring the ongoing seismic vulnerability of the Japanese archipelago.