June 8, 1912 Earthquake: Sanriku, Japan
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan on June 8, 1912 at 04:42 UTC, 100 km below the surface. 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
- June 8, 1912
- Time
- 04:42 UTC
- Place
- Sanriku, Japan
- Magnitude
- 6.6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 100 km (62 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 40.500° N, 142.000° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
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.
1912, June 8, 13:42 [local time]. Validity possible. There was an earthquake (39.3 N, 143.3 E, magnitude 6) in Iwate Prefecture. The source was situated at sea. A weak tsunami was observed on the Sanriku coast after the earthquake. Detailed data are not available on this tsunami. (reference #414)
1912, June 8, 13:42 UTC, 40.5 N, 142 E, magnitude 6.6, validity 3. Some damage at Shichinohe by earthquake.
Very small tsunami observed. (reference #150)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 8, 1766, Hirosaki, Japan
- August 31, 1896, Senhoku, Ugo, Japan
- March 21, 1982, Hokkaido, Urakawa, Hiroo, Japan
- September 25, 1810, Oga, Japan
- May 16, 1968, Off East Coast of Honshu Island, Japan
- August 23, 1856, Oshima, Japan
- June 13, 2008, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
- August 9, 1901, Off Northeast Coast Honshu, Japan
- February 8, 1793, Aomori, Japan
- December 28, 1994, Honshu, Japan
- July 23, 2008, N, Honshu, Japan
- March 15, 1763, Hachinohe, Sanriku, Japan
- August 16, 1739, N Sanriku,mutsu, Japan
- August 9, 1901, Off Northeast Coast Honshu, Japan
- August 9, 1901, Off Northeast Coast Honshu, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1912The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1912Recent 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 6257.