May 31, 1666 Earthquake: Tokaido, Japan
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Tokaido, Japan on May 31, 1666. 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 31, 1666
- Place
- Tokaido, Japan
- Magnitude
- 6.4 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 35.000° N, 136.800° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100) with its tsunami and other effects
- 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.
1666, May 31, 35 N 136.8 E, magnitude 6.4. New field between Ono and Tokoname in Owari destroyed. Some drowned. Tsunami hit Handa, Shinojima and Himakajima. (reference #150)
1666, May 31. There was an earthquake at Tokyo. On the same day, a tsunami was observed on the coast of Chita Peninsula. There was some destruction. (reference #414)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- January 18, 1586, Ise Bay, Japan
- October 27, 1891, Mino-Owari, Japan
- January 16, 1995, Kobe, Awaji-Shima, Nishinomiya, SW Honshu, Japan
- June 28, 1948, Fukui, Japan
- September 20, 1498, Enshunada Sea, Japan
- March 7, 1927, SW, Honshu, Japan
- January 12, 1945, S, Honshu, Japan
- October 28, 1707, Enshunada, Japan
- July 9, 1854, Iga, Ise, Yamato, Japan
- December 7, 1944, Off Southeast Coast Kii Peninsula, Japan
- December 23, 1854, Enshunada Sea, Japan
- June 16, 1662, Yamasiro, Japan
- December 17, 1096, Enshunada, Japan
- August 19, 1830, Kyoto, Japan
- April 9, 1858, N, Hida, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1666The 1600sRecent 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 5976.