Historical tsunamis · Dec 7, 1944, 4:35 AM UTC
1944 Off Southeast Coast Kii Peninsula tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Dec 7, 1944, 4:35 AM UTC originated near Off Southeast Coast Kii Peninsula (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Dec 7, 1944, 4:35 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.1
- Depth
- 30 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 10.0 m
- Deaths
- 1,223
- Injuries
- 2,135
- Houses destroyed
- 29,205
- Damage
- severe (about US$ 5–25 million)
- Observation records
- 136
- Countries affected
- 4
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.1 earthquake at a depth of 30 km.
The highest documented water height was 10.0 m (Kumanonada Coast, Japan).
136 observation sites in 4 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Attu, Massacre Bay, Ak (United States) after 5:24 h.
The database records 1,223 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 29,205.
Damage is estimated at severe (about US$ 5–25 million).
Map of observation sites
136Each 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) · Dec 7, 1944, 4:35 AM UTC
- 0:07 hJapan · Kushimoto · 2.00 m
- 5:24 hUnited States · Attu, Massacre Bay, Ak · 0.28 m
- 9:25 hSamoa · Apia, Upolu Island · 0.03 m
- 11:23 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.06 m
12 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 125 | 10.0 m Kumanonada Coast | 40 | 0:07 h |
 United States | 9 | 0.28 m Attu, Massacre Bay, Ak | — | 5:24 h |
 Canada | 1 | 0.06 m Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia | — | 11:23 h |
 Samoa | 1 | 0.03 m Apia, Upolu Island | — | 9:25 h |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 136Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kumanonada Coast · Mie | 10.00 m | 65 km | Japan |
| Kata · Mie | 9.00 m | 83 km | Japan |
| Sagarimatsu · Mie | 9.00 m | 79 km | Japan |
| Gata · Mie | 7.90 m | 707 km | Japan |
| Yanoguchi · Mie | 7.50 m | 78 km | Japan |
| Kuki · Mie | 7.00 m | 78 km | Japan |
| Matsubara · Wakayama | 7.00 m | 93 km | Japan |
| Tenmaura · Mie | 6.50 m | 84 km | Japan |
| Nigishima · Mie | 6.30 m | 85 km | Japan |
| Fukuro · Wakayama | 6.20 m | 108 km | Japan |
| Urakami · Wakayama | 6.20 m | 121 km | Japan |
| Atashika · Mie | 6.00 m | 88 km | Japan |
| Komukai · Mie | 6.00 m | 85 km | Japan |
| Kowa · Mie | 6.00 m | 65 km | Japan |
| Nagura · Mie | 6.00 m | 73 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.