November 1, 1915 Tsunami: Sanriku, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.8 earthquake began at Sanriku, Japan on November 1, 1915 at 07:23:43 UTC. The water rose as high as 1 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 places in at least 2 countries.
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 1, 1915, 07:23:43 UTC
- Source
- Sanriku, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.8, 60 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 1 m (3.3 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0.5
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 38.300° N, 142.900° E
The toll
- Damage
- Limited (under about $1 million) 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.
1915, November 1, 16:25. Validity 3. There was an earthquake with source at sea near Ishinomaki (Miyagi Prefecture), where especially strong tremors were felt. Minor destruction occurred at some adjacent points. The earthquake was felt at Tokyo. After the earthquake, a weak tsunami observed on the coast of Miyagi Prefecture, from Shizukawa to Arahama. The height of the wave was about 1 m in Shizukawa Bay. There was no damage at all. The hypothetical travel time of the tsunami was 26 minutes to Miyako and 30 minutes to Ayukawa. (reference #414)
1915, November 1. 38.3 N, 142.9 E, magnitude 7.5. Tsunami 1m high at Shizugawa Bay, 0.9m at Arahama village. (reference #150)
1915, November 1, 38.3 N, 142.9 E, magnitude 7.5, intensity 0. (reference #3785)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shizugawa Bay | Japan | 133 | 1 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Arahama Village | Japan | 176 | 0.9 | Eyewitness observation of water height | |||
| Tofino (Clayoquot),british Columbia, BC | Canada | 6,993 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 1, 16:58 |
More
Every tsunami in 1915The 1900sTsunamis 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 1429.