November 11, 1855 Tsunami: Tokaido, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7 earthquake began at Tokaido, Japan on November 11, 1855. Its effects were recorded at 2 places. It killed 6,757 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
- November 11, 1855
- Source
- Tokaido, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7
- Runups recorded
- 2
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 35.650° N, 139.800° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 6,757 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Extreme (about $25 million or more) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 50,000 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 #414:
1855, November 11, 22:00 local time. Validity 1. There was a strong earthquake in the vicinity of Tokyo.
After the earthquake, weak tsunami waves were observed at Kisarazu and the village of Mibuchi (western shore of the Boso Peninsula). The flood tide began at Kisarazu at midnight, but the sea had completely quieted down by 10:00 of the following day. Since presumably the source of the earthquake was on land, seiche oscillations of water in the bay apparently resulted.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Bay | Japan | 0 | 0 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Kisarazu | Japan | 33 | Other |
More
Every tsunami in 1855The 1800sTsunamis 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 851.