Significant earthquakes of 1987

March 18, 1987 Earthquake: Miyazaki, Naze, Kyushu, Japan

March 18, 1987 · M6.7 · 2 deaths

A magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Miyazaki, Naze, Kyushu, Japan on March 18, 1987 at 03:36:30 UTC, 54 km below the surface. It killed 2 people.

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
March 18, 1987
Time
03:36:30 UTC
Place
Miyazaki, Naze, Kyushu, Japan
Magnitude
6.7 (Ms)
Focal depth
54 km (34 mi)
Epicenter
32.034° N, 131.837° E
Country
Japan

The toll

Deaths
2
Injuries
5
Damage
Moderate (about $1 to $5 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.

One person killed; also one person died from a heart attack and five people were injured. Damage (V JMA) and lanslides in the Miyazaki area. Felt (IV JMA) in the Kumamoto-Nobeoka-Oita-Saga area; (III JMA) in the Fukuoka-Kagashima area and on southwestern Shikoku. Seven cm tsunami recorded along the coast of Kyushu. (reference #1053)

Other significant earthquakes nearby

Within 200 km, the deadliest first.

More

Significant earthquakes of 1987The 1900sEvery quake the USGS located in 1987Recent 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 5132.