May 8, 1974 Earthquake: Nakagi, Japan
A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck Nakagi, Japan on May 8, 1974 at 23:33:25 UTC, 2 km below the surface. It killed 27 people, counting the tsunami it caused.
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
- May 8, 1974
- Time
- 23:33:25 UTC
- Place
- Nakagi, Japan
- Magnitude
- 6.5 (Ms)
- Focal depth
- 2 km (1 mi)
- Intensity
- 9 on the Modified Mercalli scale
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 34.500° N, 138.700° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Deaths
- 30; 27 with its tsunami and other effects
- Injuries
- 102
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million)
- Houses destroyed
- 134
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.
On May 9, 1974, at 08:33 [local time] an earthquake occurred in the southern Izu Peninsula with its center in the city of Miymiizu. It caused local destruction and was felt in the entire central part of Japan as well as in such distant regions as Kinki in the northeastern part of Honshu and on Hokkaido. In JMA data, the magnitude of this earthquake was 6.9 and the depth of its source was 10 km. In Minamiizu 30 people died and 102 were injured; 134 houses were completely destroyed and 204 were heavily damaged. This earthquake produced a very weak tsunami which was recorded by only two tide gauges, at Minamiizu and at Omaezaki near the source No destruction, caused by the tsunami, was reported. (reference #417)
Magnitude 6.9 Ms (reference #150)
27 killed, 73 injured and major damage in Izu Peninsula. (reference #1053)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- September 1, 1923, Tokyo, Yokohama, Japan
- May 27, 1293, Kamakura, Japan
- January 18, 1586, Ise Bay, Japan
- October 27, 1891, Mino-Owari, Japan
- November 11, 1855, Tokyo, Japan
- December 30, 1703, Off SW Boso Peninsula, Japan
- September 20, 1498, Enshunada Sea, Japan
- January 12, 1945, S, Honshu, Japan
- October 28, 1707, Enshunada, Japan
- December 7, 1944, Off Southeast Coast Kii Peninsula, Japan
- February 3, 1605, Enshunada, Japan
- December 23, 1854, Enshunada Sea, Japan
- December 17, 1096, Enshunada, Japan
- November 25, 1930, Idu, Honshu, Japan
- April 9, 1858, N, Hida, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 1974The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1974Recent 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 4656.