June 18, 1933 Tsunami: Sanriku, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake began at Sanriku, Japan on June 18, 1933 at 21:37:00 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.2 meters. Its effects were recorded at 8 places.
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
- June 18, 1933, 21:37:00 UTC
- Source
- Sanriku, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.1, 20 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.2 m (0.7 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 8
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -2.3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 38.100° N, 142.400° 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:
1933, June 19, 6:37 local time. There was a strong earthquake with source off Kinkazan Island (Miyagi Prefecture). It was accompanied by aftershocks and a weak tsunami, which was registered by tide gauges on the Sanriku Coast and on the south coast of Hokkaido Island.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ayukawa | Japan | 82 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | ||||
| Tsukihama | Japan | 98 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 22:01 | ||
| Ishinomaki | Japan | 105 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 22:29 | ||
| Hanabuchi | Japan | 121 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 21:59 | ||
| Oshima (Shiogamako) | Japan | 125 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 22:12 | ||
| Miyako | Japan | 176 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | ||||
| Hachinohe | Japan | 280 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 22:43 | ||
| Hakodate | Japan | 427 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 18, 23:00 |
More
Every tsunami in 1933The 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 1664.