Historical tsunamis · May 16, 1968, 12:48 AM UTC
1968 Off East Coast of Honshu Island tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of May 16, 1968, 12:48 AM UTC originated near Off East Coast of Honshu Island (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- May 16, 1968, 12:48 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.2
- Depth
- 7 km
- Maximum documented water height
- 6.00 m
- Deaths
- 52
- Injuries
- 330
- Houses destroyed
- 1,218
- Damage
- US$ 131 million
- Observation records
- 321
- Countries affected
- 8
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake at a depth of 7 km.
The highest documented water height was 6.00 m (Samenoura Bay, Japan).
321 observation sites in 8 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at Midway Islands (USA Territory) after 3:53 h.
The database records 52 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 1,218.
Damage is estimated at US$ 131 million.
Map of observation sites
321Each 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) · May 16, 1968, 12:48 AM UTC
- 0:16 hJapan · Seppu · 1.66 m
- 3:53 hUSA Territory · Midway Islands · 0.20 m
- 7:14 hUnited States · Nawiliwili, Kauai, Hi · 0.20 m
- 9:32 hCanada · Tofino (Clayoquot),British Columbia · 0.06 m
- 11:24 hMexico · Ensenada · 0.30 m
65 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 280 | 6.00 m Samenoura Bay | — | 0:16 h |
 United States | 23 | 0.61 m Crescent City, Ca | — | 7:14 h |
 Russia | 4 | 0.50 m Burevestnik, Iturup I., Kurilskiye | — | — |
 Mexico | 5 | 0.43 m Acapulco | — | 11:24 h |
| USA Territory | 5 | 0.20 m Midway Islands | — | 3:53 h |
 Canada | 2 | 0.11 m Port Alberni, British Columbia | — | 9:32 h |
| Marshall Islands, Rep. Of | 1 | 0.09 m Kwajalein, Marshall Islands | — | — |
| Micronesia, Fed. States Of | 1 | 0.06 m Truk Islands, Caroline Islands | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 321Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Samenoura Bay · Kagoshima | 6.00 m | 307 km | Japan |
| Mukawame · Aomori | 5.70 m | 150 km | Japan |
| Muronohama · Iwate | 5.70 m | 196 km | Japan |
| Akamae · Iwate | 5.30 m | 171 km | Japan |
| Koborinai · Iwate | 5.30 m | 171 km | Japan |
| Namiita · Iwate | 5.30 m | 191 km | Japan |
| Kitanuma · Aomori | 5.10 m | 146 km | Japan |
| Shiogama · Aomori | 5.10 m | 152 km | Japan |
| Kawaguchi · Aomori | 5.00 m | 148 km | Japan |
| Moshi · Iwate | 5.00 m | 149 km | Japan |
| Nehama · Iwate | 5.00 m | 198 km | Japan |
| Noda · Iwate | 5.00 m | 138 km | Japan |
| Sanriku Coast · Iwate | 5.00 m | 193 km | Japan |
| Urakawa · Hokkaido | 5.00 m | 156 km | Japan |
| Kanahama · Aomori | 4.89 m | 147 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.