October 18, 1644 Tsunami: Honjo, Akita, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.9 earthquake began at Honjo, Akita, Japan on October 18, 1644. Its effects were recorded at 1 place. It killed 117 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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 18, 1644
- Source
- Honjo, Akita, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.9
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 39.400° N, 140.100° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 117
- Damage
- Moderate (about $1 to $5 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 28 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.
Reference #150:
1644, Oct 18, 39.4 N, 140.1 E, magnitude 6.9. 117 persons drowned at Kisagata by tsunami. Honjo castle damaged. 28 more houses destroyed.
Reference #414:
1644, Oct 18. There is a not quite authentic legend that 117 people drowned in tsunami waves at Kisakata.
Probability 2.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kisagata | Japan | 27 | Eyewitness observation of water height | 117 |
More
Every tsunami in 1644The 1600sTsunamis 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 259.