The July 2008 Iwate earthquake (岩手県沿岸北部地震, Iwate-ken Engan Hokubu Jishin) was an earthquake that occurred in Iwate Prefecture, Japan on July 23, 2008.

[3] The earthquake ruptured a fault within the subducting Pacific Plate beneath northern Iwate at a calculated depth of 115 km (71 mi).

Although occurring deeper in Earth's interior, these events can produce large ground motions.

In the case of this earthquake, the recorded peak ground acceleration exceeded 1,000 cm/sec2, corresponding to IX (Violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale.

[6] The earthquake left one person dead; an elderly woman in Iwaki who suffered severe wounds after falling from her bed due to the shaking.