July 20, 1835 Earthquake: Sanriku, Japan
A magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan on July 20, 1835. 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
- July 20, 1835
- Place
- Sanriku, Japan
- Magnitude
- 7.6 (Ms)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 37.900° N, 141.900° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Deaths
- Many (about 101 to 1,000) with its tsunami and other effects
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million); Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with its tsunami and other effects
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50); 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.
Reference #414:
July 20, 1835, 37.9 N, 141.9 E, magnitude 7.6. There was a very strong earthquake and tsunami in Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures. A castle at Sendai was completely destroyed and 400-500 homes were flooded and washed away by the sea; many people died.
Reference #150:
July 20, 1835, 13-15 local time, 37.9 N, 141.9 E, magnitude 7.6, Off Miyagi Prefecture. Several hundred houses washed away. Many drowned. Sendai castle destroyed.
Reference #79:
July 20, 1835, 14 local time, 37.9 N 141.9 E, magnitude 7.6. Japan, Rikuzen, Sendai area. Several hundred houses washed away. Many deaths.
Reference #1065:
Southern Sanriku (Rikuzen). 37.9 N, 141.9 E, M=7.6. The earthquake caused damage to the castle and some houses at Sendai City and vicinity.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 11, 2011, Honshu, Japan
- September 27, 1611, Aidu, Japan
- February 17, 1793, Sanriku,rikuzen,rikuchu, Japan
- July 6, 1905, Off Fukushima, Japan
- April 21, 1659, Aidu, Japan
- June 12, 1978, Sanriku, Japan
- June 13, 2008, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
- April 11, 2011, Honshu, Japan
- March 16, 2022, Off Fukushima, Japan
- April 7, 2011, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- February 13, 2021, Off Fukushima, Japan
- October 2, 1678, Sanriku,rikuchu, Japan
- November 5, 1938, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- April 30, 1962, Sendai, Honshu, Japan
- August 5, 1927, Sanriku, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1835The 1800sRecent 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 1782.