Sanriku Earthquake and Tsunami

Date: June 15, 1896 • Location: Yamada, Japan

A magnitude-8.5 earthquake and a subsequent tsunami struck Japan, killing at least 22,000 people and destroying about 9,000 homes.

An 8.5 magnitude earthquake occurred at 19:32 on June 15, 1896, on the Sanriku coast in Honshu, Japan. It resulted in two tsunami waves which destroyed about 9,000 homes and caused at least 22,000 deaths. It was one of the most destructive seismic events in Japanese history. The waves reached a then-record height of 38.2 metres (125 ft); this would remain the highest on record until waves from the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake exceeded that height by more than 2 metres.