May 31, 1666 Tsunami: Aichi Prefecture, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.4 earthquake began at Aichi Prefecture, Japan on May 31, 1666. Its effects were recorded at 4 places.
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
- May 31, 1666
- Source
- Aichi Prefecture, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.4
- Runups recorded
- 4
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 1
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Probable tsunami
- Source location
- 35.000° N, 136.800° E
The toll
- Deaths
- Some (about 51 to 100)
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 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.
1666, May 31, 35 N 136.8 E, magnitude 6.4. New field between Ono and Tokoname in Owari destroyed. Some drowned. Tsunami hit Handa, Shinojima and Himakajima. (reference #150)
1666, May 31. There was an earthquake at Tokyo. On the same day, a tsunami was observed on the coast of Chita Peninsula. There was some destruction. Imamura considers the waves to have been storm waves, but such waves are very rare in May. (reference #414)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handa | Japan | 18 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Chita Peninsula | Japan | 37 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Himakajima | Japan | 38 | Eyewitness observation of water height | ||||
| Shinojima | Japan | 41 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1666The 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 294.