April 16, 1700 Earthquake: Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
A magnitude 7 earthquake struck Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan on April 16, 1700. It killed 1,000 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
- April 16, 1700
- Place
- Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture, Japan
- Magnitude
- 7 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 34.200° N, 129.300° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Deaths
- 1,000 with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- Many (101 to 1,000) 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.
1700, April 16. An earthquake in Tsuhmima, Nagasaki Prefecture, generated a tsunami that caused more than 1,000 deaths. (reference #150)
1700, April 16, Japan (Tsuhima) intensity II which corresponds to buildings may be unroofed or
shattered and some may fall, the ground may be badly cracked
in places and small landslips occur. (reference #1055)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- May 21, 1792, Kyusyu Island, Japan
- 780, Kyongju, South Korea
- December 7, 1922, Kyushu, Japan
- March 20, 2005, Fukuoka, Genkai, Kyushu, Japan
- September 12, 2016, Gyeongju, South Korea
- July 25, 1643, Sea of Japan, South Korea
- October 304, Kyongju, South Korea
- June 510, Kyongju, South Korea
- September 12, 664, Kyongju, South Korea
- May 25, 1895, W. Kyushu Island, Japan
- December 100, Kyongju, South Korea
- 123, Kyongju, South Korea
- March 2, 1553, Kyongsang-Do, South Korea
- May 26, 1828, Amakusa Islands, Japan
- July 3, 1936, South Korea
More
Significant earthquakes of 1700The 1700sRecent 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 6997.