November 25, 1953 Earthquake: Kashima, Japan
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck Kashima, Japan on November 25, 1953 at 17:48 UTC, 60 km below the surface. It killed 1 person.
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 25, 1953
- Time
- 17:48 UTC
- Place
- Kashima, Japan
- Magnitude
- 7.4 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 60 km (37 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 34.000° N, 141.700° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Deaths
- 1
- 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.
Reference #414:
On November 26, 1953, at 2:48 [local time] there was a magnitude 7.5 earthquake [34.3 N, 141.8 E, depth 40-60 km] with source southeast of the Boso Peninsula, 60 km long. Roads were damaged on Oshima and Hachijo Islands. The residents ran to the streets in Tokyo. The earthquake was accompanied by a small tsunami, which was observed visually or registered by instruments on the coast of Sanriltu, the Boso Peninsula, the prefectures of Chiba and Shizuoka, Oshima Island, the Kif Peninsula and Shikoku Island. There was almost no destruction from the tsunami, but many boats were washed away.
Reference #45:
Nov. 25, 1953, 17:48:49 UTC, 34 N, 141 E, magnitude 8.0, one killed, and slight damage on Tomisaki and Miyakezimi Islands. 10-foot seismic sea wave.
Reference #150:
34 N, 141.7 E, depth 60 km, magnitude 7.4.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- December 30, 1703, Off SW Boso Peninsula, Japan
- November 4, 1677, Off SE. Boso Peninsula, Japan
- September 18, 1984, Honshu Island, Japan
- January 19, 2005, East Coast Honshu, Japan
- August 18, 1927, Kashima, Japan
- March 12, 1909, Choshi, Japan
- March 13, 1909, Yokohama, Japan
- February 29, 1972, Hachijojima, Tokyo, S of Honshu, Japan
- December 4, 1972, S of Honshu, Hachijojima, Japan
- April 21, 1916, Off East Coast Honshu, Japan
- June 1, 1923, Kashima, Japan
- December 4, 1732, Kujukuri Beach, Japan
- August 11, 1992, S, Honshu, Japan
- February 8, 1602, Boso, Japan
- September 4, 1642, Boso, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1953The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1953Recent 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 4032.