Historical tsunamis · Aug 23, 1856, 4:30 AM UTC
1856 SE. Hokkaido Island tsunami
Japan
The tsunami of Aug 23, 1856, 4:30 AM UTC originated near SE. Hokkaido Island (Japan).
Key facts
- Date
- Aug 23, 1856, 4:30 AM UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Magnitude
- M8.0
- Maximum documented water height
- 6.00 m
- Deaths
- 26
- Houses destroyed
- 193
- Damage
- moderate (about US$ 1–5 million)
- Observation records
- 31
- Countries affected
- 3
It was triggered by a magnitude 8.0 earthquake.
The highest documented water height was 6.00 m (Noda, Japan).
31 observation sites in 3 countries are recorded.
Outside the source country, the earliest documented arrival was at San Diego, Ca (United States) after 11:41 h.
The database records 26 deaths.
Houses destroyed: 193.
Damage is estimated at moderate (about US$ 1–5 million).
Map of observation sites
31Each 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)
- 1:00 hJapan · Hakodate · 3.00 m
- 11:41 hUnited States · San Diego, Ca · 0.01 m
2 places with a documented arrival time
Observations by country
| Country | Observation records | Maximum documented water height | Deaths | Earliest arrival |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | 28 | 6.00 m Noda | — | 1:00 h |
 United States | 2 | 0.03 m San Francisco, Ca | — | 11:41 h |
 French Polynesia | 1 | — | — | — |
Highest documented water heights
15 / 31Individual 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noda · Iwate | 6.00 m | 148 km | Japan |
| Tanohama · Iwate | 5.00 m | 176 km | Japan |
| Tanoura · Miyagi | 5.00 m | 258 km | Japan |
| Hachinohe · Aomori | 3.50 m | 167 km | Japan |
| Miyako · Iwate | 3.50 m | 160 km | Japan |
| Otsuchi · Iwate | 3.50 m | 186 km | Japan |
| Hakodate · Hokkaido | 3.00 m | 272 km | Japan |
| Kamaishi · Iwate | 3.00 m | 195 km | Japan |
| Ofunato · Iwate | 3.00 m | 223 km | Japan |
| Osatsube · Hokkaido | 3.00 m | 260 km | Japan |
| Ryori · Iwate | 3.00 m | 215 km | Japan |
| Yoshihama · Iwate | 3.00 m | 207 km | Japan |
| Yamada · Iwate | 2.50 m | 175 km | Japan |
| Ryoishi · Iwate | 1.90 m | 191 km | Japan |
| Okachi · Miyagi | 1.80 m | 281 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.