November 2, 1936 Earthquake: Sanriku, Japan
An earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan on November 2, 1936 at 20:46:00 UTC, 40 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
- November 2, 1936
- Time
- 20:46:00 UTC
- Place
- Sanriku, Japan
- Focal depth
- 40 km (25 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 38.200° N, 142.200° 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:
1936, November 3, 5:46 local time. There was an earthquake with source off Kinkazan Island (Miyagi Prefecture). It was felt rather strongly on the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan, where the walls of warehouses cracked, window panes rattled, and in some places embankments settled in the prefectures of Fukushima, Miyagi, and Iwate. It was accompanied by a few aftershocks.
Iida et al. (1967): 2.XI; 20h46m; 38.2 N., 142.2 E.; 50-60 km; M=7.7, m=-1.6.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 11, 2011, Honshu, Japan
- February 17, 1793, Sanriku,rikuzen,rikuchu, Japan
- July 6, 1905, Off Fukushima, Japan
- June 12, 1978, Sanriku, Japan
- June 13, 2008, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
- March 16, 2022, Off Fukushima, Japan
- April 7, 2011, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- October 2, 1678, Sanriku,rikuchu, Japan
- February 13, 2021, Off Fukushima, Japan
- November 5, 1938, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- April 30, 1962, Sendai, Honshu, Japan
- July 23, 2008, N, Honshu, Japan
- August 16, 2005, East Coast Honshu, Japan
- September 9, 1616, Miyagi Prefecture, Honshu, Japan
- June 18, 1933, Sanriku, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1936The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1936Recent 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 6108.