September 25, 2003 Earthquake: Hokkaido, Japan
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck Hokkaido, Japan on September 25, 2003 at 19:50:06 UTC, 27 km below the surface. It killed 2 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
- September 25, 2003
- Time
- 19:50:06 UTC
- Place
- Hokkaido, Japan
- Magnitude
- 8.3 (Mw)
- Focal depth
- 27 km (17 mi)
- Tsunami
- Yes: the tsunami it caused
- Epicenter
- 41.815° N, 143.910° E
- Country
- Japan
The toll
- Deaths
- 2 with its tsunami and other effects
- Injuries
- 849
- Damage
- $90 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.
At least 755 people injured,
extensive damage, landslides and power outages
occurred and many roads damaged in southeastern
Hokkaido. Damage estimated at 90 million U.S. dollars.
Felt strongly in much of Hokkaido. Also felt in
northern and much of central Honshu as far south as
Tokyo. Felt (V) at Yuzhno-Kuril'sk, Kunashir and at
Kuril'sk, Iturup; (II) at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin.
Recorded (6L JMA) in southern Hokkaido, (5L JMA) in
central Hokkaido and (4 JMA) in parts of northern and
southwestern Hokkaido. Also recorded (4 JMA) in
northern Honshu and (2 JMA) as far south as Shizuoka
Prefecture, Honshu. Recorded (1 JMA) on Hachijo-jima,
Miyaki-jima and Sadoga-shima.
A tsunami was generated with a maximum wave height of
4 meters along the southeastern coast of Hokkaido.
(above from reference #1053)
Injury. Hokkaido: Two people missing [In the vicinity of the mouth of the Tokachi River in Toyoko Town, two anglers (69-year-old male, 66-year old male Sex) is missing (a fire awakening around 16:00 on 26th)], 847 injured people (severe injury 68 people, minor injuries 779 people); Aomori Prefecture: Injured person 1 person (seriously injured 1 person); Iwate Prefecture: Injured person 1 person (slight injury 1 person). (reference #12373)
Other significant earthquakes nearby
Within 200 km, the deadliest first.
- March 21, 1982, Hokkaido, Urakawa, Hiroo, Japan
- May 16, 1968, Off East Coast of Honshu Island, Japan
- April 25, 1843, Yezo, Kushiro, Nemuro, Hokkaido, Japan
- September 5, 2018, Hokkaido, Japan
- March 4, 1952, Hokkaido, Japan
- August 23, 1856, Oshima, Japan
- August 9, 1901, Off Northeast Coast Honshu, Japan
- December 28, 1994, Honshu, Japan
- January 15, 1993, Hokkadio, Kushiro, Hachinohe, Honshu, Japan
- March 22, 1894, Off Coast of Honshu, Japan
- September 11, 2008, Hokkaido, Japan
- April 23, 1962, SE. Hokkaido Island, Japan
- August 2, 1971, Japan Trench
- June 13, 1943, SE. Hokkaido Island, Japan
- May 22, 1910, Hokkaido, Japan
More
Significant earthquakes of 2003The 2000sEvery quake the USGS located in 2003Recent 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 5724.