Historical tsunamis · Mar 22, 1894, 10:23 AM UTC
1894 SE. Hokkaido Island tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Mar 22, 1894, 10:23 AM UTC originated near SE. Hokkaido Island (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Mar 22, 1894, 10:23 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.9
- Maximum documented water height
- 4.00 m
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 6
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 19
- Countries affected
- 2
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 4.00 m (Miyako, Japan).
19 observation sites in 2 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Tyatino, Kunashir Island (Russia) after 1:00 h.
The database records 1 deaths.
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
19Each dot is a documented observation site; colour and size show the observed water height. The triangle marks the source.
Tsunami arrival times
Documented arrival times from the NOAA/NCEI database, showing the earliest recorded location per country. Coverage is incomplete: a country without an entry was not necessarily spared.
- 0:00 hEarthquake (origin)
- 0:26 hJapan · Hanasaki · 1.50 m
- 1:00 hRussia · Tyatino, Kunashir Island
5 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 16 | 4.00 m Miyako | — | 0:26 h |
 Russia | 3 | 3.00 m Shikotan Island, Kurilskiye | — | 1:00 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 19Individual documented observations for this event. Heights come from different measurement types and sources; not every location has a measured height.
| Location / station | Observed height | Distance from source | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miyako · Iwate | 4.00 m | 463 km | Japan |
| Shikotan Island, Kurilskiye · Kuril Islands | 3.00 m | 155 km | Russia |
| Akkeshi · Hokkaido | 2.00 m | 111 km | Japan |
| Hanasaki · Hokkaido | 1.50 m | 94 km | Japan |
| Nemuro · Hokkaido | 1.50 m | 100 km | Japan |
| Ofunato · Iwate | 1.50 m | 528 km | Japan |
| Kamaishi · Iwate | 1.40 m | 499 km | Japan |
| Taro · Iwate | 1.40 m | 455 km | Japan |
| Yuzhno-Kuril'sk, Kunashir Island · Kuril Islands | 1.20 m | 170 km | Russia |
| Kesennuma · Miyagi | 1.00 m | 548 km | Japan |
| Kushiro · Hokkaido | 1.00 m | 143 km | Japan |
| Otsuchi · Iwate | 1.00 m | 490 km | Japan |
| Tomari · Hokkaido | 1.00 m | 412 km | Japan |
| Yamada · Iwate | 1.00 m | 479 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 0.50 m | 443 km | Japan |
More tsunamis
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), Global Historical Tsunami Database. Confirmed events only. Deaths and damage are database estimates; older records are incomplete. Water heights come from different types of observation.