1664 Tsunami: Torishima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan
A tsunami caused by a volcano began at Torishima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan in 1664. 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
- 1664
- Source
- Torishima, Ryukyu Islands, Japan
- Cause
- Volcano
- Volcano
- The eruption that caused it
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 27.850° N, 128.250° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Few (about 1 to 50)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million)
- Houses destroyed
- Few (about 1 to 50)
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:
Volcanic eruption under sea. Houses damaged and some deaths.
Reference #79:
Torishima volcanic eruption.
Reference #414:
1664. Validity 2. There was an explosion of a submarine volcano in the
region of Tori Island. A tsunami was observed. Homes were destroyed and there were several victims.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryukyu Island | Japan | 7 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1664The 1600sTsunamis of JapanThe eruptionAlerts 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 293.