December 4, 1808 Tsunami: Tokaido, Japan
A tsunami of unknown cause began at Tokaido, Japan on December 4, 1808. 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
- December 4, 1808
- Source
- Tokaido, Japan
- Cause
- Unknown
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
The toll
The record gives no deaths, injuries or damage for this tsunami.
What the record says
NCEI’s account, from the sources it cites.
On December 4, 1808, there was a tsunami at Kumano (Kii
Peninsula). There are no details available. Apparently, it has been mixed up with the tsunami of August 8,1808 in Tokushima Prefecture. (reference #414)
References #150 and #414 give validity 1.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kumano | Japan | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1808The 1800sTsunamis 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 600.