November 30, 1938 Earthquake: Sanriku, Japan
An earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan on November 30, 1938 at 02:29:00 UTC, 50 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 30, 1938
- Time
- 02:29:00 UTC
- Place
- Sanriku, Japan
- Focal depth
- 50 km (31 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 37.000° 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:
1938, November 30, 11:30 local time. There was an aftershock of the earthquake of November 5. It occurred in almost the same places at the shock of November 22.
A weak tsunami was recorded on the coast of the Sanriku area and Hokkaido Island.
Iida et al. (1967): 30.XI; 2h30m; 37 N., 141.8 E.; 5 km, M=7, m=-2.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 11, 2011, Honshu, Japan
- July 6, 1905, Off Fukushima, Japan
- June 12, 1978, Sanriku, Japan
- April 11, 2011, Honshu, Japan
- March 16, 2022, Off Fukushima, Japan
- April 7, 2011, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- November 5, 1938, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- February 13, 2021, Off Fukushima, Japan
- October 2, 1678, Sanriku,rikuchu, Japan
- July 11, 2014, Sanriku, Japan
- November 22, 1938, Sanriku, Japan
- November 6, 1938, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- February 6, 1987, East Coast Honshu, Japan
- November 5, 1938, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- November 6, 1938, Off East Coast Honshu, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1938The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1938Recent 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 6322.