October 9, 1257 Tsunami: Off Sanriku, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake began at Off Sanriku, Japan on October 9, 1257. Its effects were recorded at 1 place.
Where the waves reached
The source (white) and every runup with a place, colored by the water height recorded there. A ring is a runup NCEI marks doubtful.
- Under 1 m
- 1 to 3 m
- 3 to 10 m
- 10 to 30 m
- 30 m and more
- Height not recorded
The tsunami
- Date
- October 9, 1257
- Source
- Off Sanriku, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.5
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 39.000° N, 144.000° E
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
Tsunami attacked Sanriku coast, especially high waves attacked Noda and Kuji in Iwate, Prefecture. (reference #150)
Every runup
Nearest the source first. Heights are above sea level at the time; a tide gauge reads half the wave’s full height.
| Where | Country | Km from source | Water height, m | Inland, m | Measured by | First wave, UTC | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanriku Coast | Japan | 199 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1257The 1200sTsunamis of JapanThe earthquakeThis day in weather historyAlerts in force
Sources
Tsunami events and runups 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 tsunami event 105.