January 16, 1961 Earthquake: Kashima, Japan
An earthquake struck Kashima, Japan on January 16, 1961 at 07:20:00 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
- January 16, 1961
- Time
- 07:20:00 UTC
- Place
- Kashima, Japan
- Focal depth
- 40 km (25 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 36.000° N, 142.300° 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:
1961, January 16, 16:20 local time. An earthquake with source off the coast of Ibaraki Prefecture was felt on the coast and was accompanied by a weak tsunami, which was registered by tide gauges.
Iida et al. (1967): 16.I; 7h20m; 36 N., 142.3 E.; 40 km; M=6.8, m=-2.
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- November 4, 1677, Off SE. Boso Peninsula, Japan
- July 6, 1905, Off Fukushima, Japan
- November 5, 1938, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- November 10, 1730, Kashima, Japan
- January 16, 1961, Kashima, Japan
- January 16, 1961, Kashima, Japan
- July 23, 1982, Ibaraki, Japan
- May 7, 2008, E Coast, Honshu, Japan
- November 22, 1938, Sanriku, Japan
- June 1, 1923, Kashima, Japan
- July 19, 1935, Japan
- March 11, 2011, Near E Coast Honshu, Japan
- November 30, 1938, Sanriku, Japan
- May 23, 1938, Japan Trench
- July 11, 2014, Sanriku, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1961The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1961Recent 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 6392.