September 1858 Tsunami: Ryukyu Islands, Japan
A tsunami caused by an earthquake began at Ryukyu Islands, Japan in September 1858. 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
- September 1858
- Source
- Ryukyu Islands, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- The earthquake
- Runups recorded
- 1
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Very doubtful tsunami
- Source location
- 26.200° N, 127.500° E
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.
Reference #414:
1858, Sept. - 1859, Jan. Validity 1. There were frequent shocks and unusual tidal waves on the coast of Okinawa Island.
Reference #79:
1858, Sept. - 1859, Jan. Source: Ryukyu Island, observation: Ryukyu Island, Okinawa Island. Frequent quakes and abnormal tides.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa | Japan | 33 | Eyewitness observation of water height |
More
Every tsunami in 1858The 1800sTsunamis of JapanThe earthquakeAlerts 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 876.