December 4, 1972 Tsunami: Chichi Jima, Japan

Name: December 4, 1972 Tsunami: Chichi Jima, Japan
Start: 1972-12-04
Location: Chichi Jima, Japan

December 4, 1972 · 0.5 m · Definite tsunami

A tsunami caused by a magnitude 7.4 earthquake began at Chichi Jima, Japan on December 4, 1972 at 10:16:12 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.5 meters. Its effects were recorded at 39 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

Tsunami warnings in force

The tsunami

Date: December 4, 1972, 10:16:12 UTC
Source: Chichi Jima, Japan
Cause: Earthquake
Earthquake: Magnitude 7.4, 66 km deep
Maximum water height: 0.5 m (1.6 ft)
Runups recorded: 39
Tsunami intensity (Soloviev-Imamura): -1
Tsunami magnitude (Iida): -1
Waters: Ocean
How certain: Definite tsunami
Source location: 33.300° N, 140.700° 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.

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	Measured by
Kaminato, Hachijo Island	Japan	86	0.08	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Yaene, Hachijo Island	Japan	90	0.17	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Miyake Island	Japan	141	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kozushima	Japan	177	0.13	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mera	Japan	197	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Mera	Japan	197	0.21	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tateyama	Japan	202	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Okada	Japan	205	0.04	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Katsuura	Japan	208	0.06	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Minami-Izu	Japan	223	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Aburatsubo	Japan	228	0.03	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kurihama	Japan	233	0.07	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Omaezaki	Japan	271	0.21	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Shimizu	Japan	277	0.05	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Maisaka	Japan	324	0.03	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Minato-Ohashi	Japan	337	0.08	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Oaraiko	Japan	337	0.16	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hitachiko	Japan	355	0.23	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Toba	Japan	382	0.02	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Onahama	Japan	403	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Owase	Japan	426	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Owase	Japan	426	0.2	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Uragami	Japan	447	0.22	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushimoto	Japan	458	0.35	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Shionomisaki	Japan	461	0.13	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Shirahama	Japan	496	0.08	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Wakayama	Japan	524	0.05	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Ayukawa	Japan	559	0.08	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Enoshima	Japan	572	0.03	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Murotomisaki	Japan	608	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kochi	Japan	665	0.06	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Miyako	Japan	714	0.05	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Tosa-Shimizu	Japan	725	0.12	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hachinohe	Japan	806	0.04	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kamaegyoko	Japan	820	0.09	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Aburatsu	Japan	893	0.15	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Nishinoomote	Japan	959	0.05	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Kushiro	Japan	1,121	0.03	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)
Hanasaki	Japan	1,186	0.05	Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height)

Every tsunami in 1972 The 1900s Tsunamis of Japan The earthquake This day in weather history Alerts 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 2056.