May 21, 1929 Earthquake: Hiuganada, Japan
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Hiuganada, Japan on May 21, 1929 at 16:35 UTC, 30 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
- May 21, 1929
- Time
- 16:35 UTC
- Place
- Hiuganada, Japan
- Magnitude
- 6.8
- Focal depth
- 30 km (19 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 31.700° N, 132.200° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this earthquake.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Reference #414:
1929, May 22, 1:35 local time. There was a shock on the south of Miyazaki Prefecture, causing considerable destruction in Miyazaki and vicinity. A loud rumble was heard at the same time as the shock, and according to doubtful sources, a typhoon occurred. Homes were shaken to such an extent that they almost collapsed, and it was difficult to move about inside the homes. The frightened people ran to the street. The city was plunged into darkness due to breakage of the cables of the power network, and the residents spent the whole night on the street. There were about another ten shocks after the main one.
A strong earthquake was felt in the region of Takachiho, at Oita and Kumamato (clocks stopped). A mild earthquake was felt at Kagoshima (the walls of homes creaked) and at Matsuyama, in Ehime Prefecture.
According to the Miyazaki seismic station, the epicenter of the earthquake was situated 60 km southeast of Miyazaki, near the coast of Hyuga-Nada.
[21.V; 16h35m; 31.8 N., 131.8 E.; 30 km; M=7.1. The account of this earthquake apparently gives an incorrect date for the earthquake which caused the tsunami.]
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- June 30, 744, Shimabara, Yatsushiro, Higo, Japan
- September 4, 1596, Beppu Bay, Japan
- April 15, 2016, Kumamoto, Oita, Japan
- October 30, 1662, Hiuganada, Japan
- January 12, 1914, Sakurijima, Japan
- September 10, 1597, Beppu Bay, Japan
- July 28, 2026, Kumamoto, Japan
- August 6, 1984, Nobeoka, Kyushu, Japan
- July 28, 1889, Kumamoto, Japan
- February 21, 1968, Kyushu, Japan
- November 18, 1941, Shikoku, Japan
- February 26, 1961, Miyazaki, Japan
- March 18, 1987, Miyazaki, Naze, Kyushu, Japan
- March 20, 1939, Seikaido, Japan
- April 1, 1968, Kyushu, Shikoku, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1929The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1929Recent 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 6082.