November 25, 1696 Tsunami: Ishinomaki, Japan
A tsunami of meteorological origin began at Ishinomaki, Japan on November 25, 1696. 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
- November 25, 1696
- Source
- Ishinomaki, Japan
- Cause
- Meteorological
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 2
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
The toll
- Deaths
- 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.
On November 25, 1696, a tsunami was observed on the coast at
Ishinomaki (Miyagi Prefecture). Three hundred boats were washed away. There were victims. No earthquake is reported. It may have been a distant tsunami, although it is more likely from the description that the waves were of meteorological origin. (reference #414)
Nov 25, 1696, Ishinomaki. More than 300 vessels washed away. People drowned. Storm surge? (reference #150)
Nov 25, 1696, Japan, Sanriku, Ishinomaki. 300 boats washed away. Some deaths. No quake reported. Possibly distant tsunami but considered more likely storm surge." Dates have been misprinted because of calendar conversions. (reference #79)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ishinomaki | Japan | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1696The 1600sTsunamis of JapanThis 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 352.