Historical tsunamis · Aug 5, 1897, 12:10 AM UTC
1897 Sanriku tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Aug 5, 1897, 12:10 AM UTC originated near Sanriku (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 5, 1897, 12:10 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M7.7
- Maximum documented water height
- 3.60 m
- Damage
- limited (under US$ 1 million)
- Observation records
- 34
- Countries affected
- 1
It was triggered by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 3.60 m (Ishinomaki, Japan).
34 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.
Damage is estimated at limited (under US$ 1 million).
Map of observation sites
34Each 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)
- 0:05 hJapan · Ozuchi · 1.20 m
27 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 34 | 3.60 m Ishinomaki | — | 0:05 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 34Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ishinomaki · Miyagi | 3.60 m | 218 km | Japan |
| Hirota · Iwate | 3.00 m | 205 km | Japan |
| Oharahama · Miyagi | 3.00 m | 198 km | Japan |
| Okkirai · Iwate | 3.00 m | 206 km | Japan |
| Onagawa · Miyagi | 3.00 m | 202 km | Japan |
| Ofunato · Iwate | 2.80 m | 204 km | Japan |
| Ryori · Iwate | 2.70 m | 196 km | Japan |
| Yoshihama · Iwate | 2.50 m | 207 km | Japan |
| Takada · Wakayama | 2.40 m | 492 km | Japan |
| Sakari · Iwate | 2.30 m | 211 km | Japan |
| Okachi · Miyagi | 2.10 m | 204 km | Japan |
| Omoto · Iwate | 2.10 m | 258 km | Japan |
| Oppa · Miyagi | 2.00 m | 208 km | Japan |
| Kojirahama · Iwate | 1.80 m | 209 km | Japan |
| Unosumai (Kamaishi) · Iwate | 1.80 m | 212 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.