December 2, 1611 Earthquake: Sanriku, Japan

Name: December 2, 1611 Earthquake: Sanriku, Japan
Start: 1611-12-02
Location: Sanriku, Japan

December 2, 1611 · M8.1 · 5,000 deaths

A magnitude 8.1 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan on December 2, 1611. It killed 5,000 people, counting the tsunami it caused.

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: December 2, 1611
Place: Sanriku, Japan
Magnitude: 8.1 (Ms)
Tsunami: Yes: the tsunami it caused
Epicenter: 39.000° N, 144.500° E
Country: Japan

The toll

Deaths: 5,000 with its tsunami and other effects
Damage: Severe (about $5 to $25 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.

Dec. 2, 1611. There was a strong earthquake on the Sanriku coast. The direct destruction from the earthquake was slight, and there was no damage at all at some places. However, the tsunami resulting from the earthquake did great damage. The earthquake also did no damage on the eastern coast of Hokkaido Island, but there were victims from the tsunami. (reference #414)

Different Reports of Epicenters, Magnitudes and Effects

LatitudeLongitudeMagnitudeDeathsReference #38.2N143.86E8.147837938.2N143.8E8.1478341439.0N144.5E8.1500015040.0N144.0E30001068

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

Significant earthquakes of 1611 The 1600s Recent earthquakes near here This 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 856.