June 12, 1968 Tsunami: Sanriku, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake began at Sanriku, Japan on June 12, 1968 at 13:41:50 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.95 meters. Its effects were recorded at 28 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 12, 1968, 13:41:50 UTC
- Source
- Sanriku, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 7.2, 44 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.95 m (3.1 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 28
- Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura)
- 0
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- 1.6
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 39.400° N, 143.100° 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:
June 12, 1968, 22:41 [local time], 13:41:57 UTC, 39.5 N, 142.8 E, magnitude 7.2. An aftershock of the earthquake of May 16, or an independent earthquake, was felt in the region of Tohoku with a force of 6 degrees (IV JMA), and was accompanied by aftershocks. The source extended along Honshu Island. The mechanism of the source was the same as in the earthquake of May 16. The tsunami which arose was observed on the Sanriku coast and was registered by many tide gauges.
Reference #150:
June 12, 1968, 22:41 [local time], 39.4 N, 143.1 E. Aftershock of May 16 Tokachi-oki Earthquake. Taro 190cm, Urakawa 59cm, Ayukawa 300cm (peak-to-trough).
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miyako | Japan | 100 | 0.4 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:03 | ||
| Taro | Japan | 103 | 0.95 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kamaishi | Japan | 106 | 0.13 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:03 | ||
| Shimanokoshi | Japan | 114 | 0.78 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:07 | ||
| Ofunato | Japan | 124 | 0.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:14 | ||
| Ofunatoko | Japan | 124 | 0.21 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kesennumakokogoshio | Japan | 142 | 0.13 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kesennumahashikami | Japan | 144 | 0.22 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Shirahama | Japan | 167 | 0.29 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Enoshima | Japan | 171 | 0.22 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:14 | ||
| Onagawa | Japan | 179 | 0.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hachinohe | Japan | 184 | 0.24 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hachinohe (Kensetsukyoku) | Japan | 184 | 0.17 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Ayukawa | Japan | 185 | 0.5 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kadowaki | Japan | 189 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Matsukawaura | Japan | 255 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:52 | ||
| Aomori | Japan | 255 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Somako | Japan | 257 | 0.15 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Urakawa | Japan | 309 | 0.33 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:10 | ||
| Tokachiko | Japan | 323 | 0.19 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hakodate | Japan | 327 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:41 | ||
| Onahama | Japan | 335 | 0.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:39 | ||
| Same | Japan | 342 | 0.2 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:29 | ||
| Muroran | Japan | 374 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:27 | ||
| Kushiro | Japan | 411 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Hanasaki | Japan | 478 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:39 | ||
| Minato | Japan | 647 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:31 | ||
| Nagasaki | Japan | 1,401 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | day 12, 14:09 |
More
Every tsunami in 1968The 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 2001.