May 22, 1241 Earthquake: Kamakura, Japan
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Kamakura, Japan on May 22, 1241. It caused a tsunami.
Map
Where it struck, with the other significant earthquakes within 200 km. Circles are sized and colored by magnitude; select one for its page.
The earthquake
- Date
- May 22, 1241
- Place
- Kamakura, Japan
- Magnitude
- 7 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 35.200° N, 139.400° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with its tsunami and other effects
Where the literature gives no number, NCEI records a description on a scale of 1 to 4, printed here in its words. Damage is in millions of US dollars of the year of the event, not adjusted for inflation.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
May 22, 1241 (erroneously 1240). 35.3 N, 139.3 E, magnitude 7. There was a large earthquake on the south of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was felt strongly at Kamakura. It was accompanied by a tsunami on the coast at Kamakura. In particular, a sea wave destroyed part of the Hachiman Shinto temple on the Yuigahama coast. More than ten ships were damaged. [35.3 N, 139.3 E.; M=7, m=1]. (reference #414)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 1, 1923, Tokyo, Yokohama, Japan
- May 27, 1293, Kamakura, Japan
- November 11, 1855, Tokyo, Japan
- December 30, 1703, Off SW Boso Peninsula, Japan
- September 20, 1498, Enshunada Sea, Japan
- October 28, 1707, Enshunada, Japan
- December 23, 1854, Enshunada Sea, Japan
- November 4, 1677, Off SE. Boso Peninsula, Japan
- November 25, 1930, Idu, Honshu, Japan
- April 9, 1858, N, Hida, Japan
- September 12, 1495, Kamakura, Japan
- July 29, 1649, Tokyo, Japan
- March 1, 1633, Odawara, Japan
- March 11, 1853, Odawara, Japan
- April 28, 1714, Oomati, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1241The 1200sRecent earthquakes near hereThis day in weather history
Sources
Significant earthquakes from NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Hazard Database, cited as NCEI/WDS, doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7. Public domain. Read 2026-09-24. NCEI earthquake 5937.