November 13, 1938 Earthquake: Sanriku, Japan
A magnitude 6 earthquake struck Sanriku, Japan on November 13, 1938 at 22:31 UTC, 60 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 13, 1938
- Time
- 22:31 UTC
- Place
- Sanriku, Japan
- Magnitude
- 6 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 60 km (37 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 37.000° N, 141.500° 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 14, 7:31 local time. There was a rather weak aftershock of the earthquake of November 5. The epicenter was situated southwest of the epicenter of the main earthquake, off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture. The weak tsunami which it caused was registered on the coast of Fukushima and Chiba Prefectures.
Iida et al. 91967): 13.XI; 22h31m; 37 N., 141.5 E.; 60 km; M=6, m=-1.5.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 11, 2011, Honshu, Japan
- September 27, 1611, Aidu, Japan
- December 18, 1828, Sandyo IN Etigo, Japan
- July 6, 1905, Off Fukushima, Japan
- April 21, 1659, Aidu, 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
- August 3, 1974, Kakiota, Mito, Tokyo, Honshu, Japan
- November 5, 1938, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- February 13, 2021, Off Fukushima, Japan
- October 2, 1678, Sanriku,rikuchu, Japan
- February 6, 1987, East Coast Honshu, Japan
- November 6, 1938, Near E 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 6337.