January 14, 1978 Tsunami: Tokaido, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake began at Tokaido, Japan on January 14, 1978 at 03:24:39 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.35 meters. Its effects were recorded at 14 places. It killed 25 people, counting the earthquake or eruption that caused it.
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
- January 14, 1978, 03:24:39 UTC
- Source
- Tokaido, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.6
- Maximum water height
- 0.35 m (1.1 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 14
- Tsunami magnitude (Iida)
- -0.7
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 34.809° N, 139.259° E
The toll
- Deaths
- 25 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Injuries
- 129 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Damage
- Severe (about $5 to $25 million) with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses destroyed
- 85 with the earthquake or eruption that caused it
- Houses damaged
- 544 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.
On January 14, 1978, at 12:24 [local time] a strong earthquake occurred in the Izu region of Japan. The epicenter was located between the Izu Peninsula and Oshima Island. This earthquake-produced a weak tsunami which was recorded by many tide gauges. (reference #417)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okada | Japan | 12 | 0.35 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Senzu | Japan | 15 | 0.05 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Ito | Japan | 15 | 0.04 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Habu | Japan | 22 | 0.09 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Minami-Izu | Japan | 40 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Mera | Japan | 53 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Oisoko | Japan | 55 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Tateyama | Japan | 57 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Enoshima | Japan | 58 | 0.07 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kurihama | Japan | 63 | 0.02 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Miyake Island | Japan | 85 | 0.08 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Yaene, Hachijo Island | Japan | 195 | 0.06 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kushimoto | Japan | 353 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Shionomisaki | Japan | 357 | 0.03 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 1978The 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 2096.