5.3 Earthquake - North Pacific Ocean, Hokkaido, 99 km east of Mutsu, Aomori, Japan

"A strong magnitude 5.3 earthquake occurred in the North Pacific Ocean 81 km (50 mi) from

Japan late in the evening at 11.31 pm local time (GMT +9). The quake had a shallow depth of 55 km (34 mi) and was felt by many near the epicenter. The shallow depth of the quake caused it to be felt more strongly near the epicenter than a deeper quake of similar magnitude would." VD