July 9, 1498 Tsunami: Enshunada, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake began at Enshunada, Japan on July 9, 1498. Its effects were recorded at 4 places in at least 2 countries.
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
- July 9, 1498
- Source
- Enshunada, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.4
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 0
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Questionable tsunami
- Source location
- 34.400° N, 137.700° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
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.
July 9, 1498, 34.4 N, 137.7 E, magnitude 6.4, tsunami intensity 0. Tsunami struck Kii, Ise, Kamakura. 18-19 ha sunk at Tsu, Ise. Landslides and cracks at Totombi by quake. (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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ise | Japan | 91 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Kamakura | Japan | 197 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Shanghai doubtful | China | 1,563 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Kii Peninsula | Japan | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1498The 1400sTsunamis 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 144.