February 16, 2015 Tsunami: Honshu, Japan
A tsunami caused by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake began at Honshu, Japan on February 16, 2015 at 23:06:28 UTC. The water rose as high as 0.27 meters. Its effects were recorded at 3 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
- February 16, 2015, 23:06:28 UTC
- Source
- Honshu, Japan
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake
- Magnitude 6.7, 23 km deep
- Maximum water height
- 0.27 m (0.9 ft)
- Runups recorded
- 3
- Waters
- Ocean
- How certain
- Definite tsunami
- Source location
- 39.856° N, 142.881° 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.
The Japan Meteorological Agency lifted a tsunami advisory two hours after it was issued following the quake, which hit shortly after 8 a.m. Japan time (3 p.m. Pacific).
The quake's epicenter was at a depth of about 6 miles. It shook much of northeast Japan and could be felt in Tokyo, 430 miles away. Small tsunamis of up to 8 inches were recorded after the quake along the coast of Iwate prefecture, according to the agency, much smaller than the possible 3-foot tsunami mentioned in the advisory. (reference #11183)
A small tsunami with a wave height of 20 cm was recorded along the coast of Iwate. (reference #1053)
On February 17, there was a M6.9 earthquake offshore Sanriku. In addition to tsunami with height of 27 cm at Kuji Port, Iwate prefecture, slight tsunami was observed along the Pacific coast from Hokkaido to Iwate prefecture. (reference #12085)
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 | 80 | 0.11 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Kujiko | Japan | 99 | 0.27 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) | |||
| Mutsuogawara | Japan | 174 | 0.1 | Tide gauge (half the maximum wave height) |
More
Every tsunami in 2015The 2000sTsunamis 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 5580.