Historical tsunamis · Jul 18, 1961, 2:04 PM UTC

1961 Ryukyu Islands tsunami

Japan

The tsunami of Jul 18, 1961, 2:04 PM UTC originated near Ryukyu Islands (Japan).

Key facts

Date: Jul 18, 1961, 2:04 PM UTC
Cause: Earthquake
Magnitude: M6.6
Depth: 60 km
Maximum documented water height: 0.20 m
Observation records: 6
Countries affected: 1

It was triggered by a magnitude 6.6 earthquake at a depth of 60 km.

The highest documented water height was 0.20 m.

6 observation sites in 1 countries are recorded.

All tsunamis in Japan Record at NOAA/NCEI ↗

Map of observation sites

Each 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) · Jul 18, 1961, 2:04 PM UTC
0:28 hJapan · Kikai Shima · 0.08 m

6 places with a documented arrival time

Observations by country

Country	Observation records	Maximum documented water height	Deaths	Earliest arrival
Japan	6	0.11 m Tosa-Shimizu	—	0:28 h

Highest documented water heights

6 / 6

Individual 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
Tosa-Shimizu · Kochi	0.11 m	369 km	Japan
Kikai Shima · Kagoshima	0.08 m	230 km	Japan
Naze · Kagoshima	0.06 m	262 km	Japan
Hososhima · Miyazaki	0.05 m	314 km	Japan
Aburatsu · Miyazaki	0.03 m	223 km	Japan
Makurazaki · Kagoshima	0.02 m	234 km	Japan

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.