The earthquake occurred as the result of thrust faulting near the subduction zone interface plate boundary between the Pacific and North America plates. Moment tensor solutions indicate that slip occurred either on a moderately dipping fault striking to the south, or a moderately dipping fault striking to the north-northeast, consistent with the east-west oriented compression expected in this region. At the location of this earthquake, the Pacific plate moves approximately westward relative to the North American plate at a velocity of per year, subducting beneath Japan at the Japan Trench and dipping to the west beneath Japan. The earthquake epicenter is located west of the epicenter of the March 2011 earthquake. It came just nine days after the tenth anniversary of the March 11, 2011 disaster, and just over a month since a 7.3 earthquake struck south of the March 20 event.