World Map › Major Tsunamis Since 1900 › 1933
Historic Tsunami
1933 Japan Tsunami
2 March 1933 · Sanriku · Japan
On 2 March 1933 at 17:31 UTC, a tsunami formed near Sanriku, Japan. It was caused by a magnitude 8.4 earthquake. Waves reached up to 29.0 m high. It was observed at 294 locations in 7 countries or territories, up to 16,092 km from its source. It killed at least 3,022 people. It is the 23rd deadliest and the 43rd highest of the tsunamis recorded since 1900.
- Date
- 2 March 1933
- Time
- 17:31 UTC
- Cause
- Earthquake
- Earthquake Magnitude
- 8.4
- Highest Wave
- 29.0 m
- Observation Sites
- 294
- Furthest Reach
- 16,092 km
- Deaths
- 3,022
- Homes Destroyed
- 6,000
- Source Country
- Japan
- Triggering Earthquake
- 1933 Sanriku Earthquake
Countries and Territories Reached
Number of observations, highest wave and deaths in each country.
- 270Japan · 29.0 m3,022 deaths
- 19United States of America · 3.3 m
- 1Chile · 0.4 m
- 1Canada · 0.1 m
- 1Australia
- 1Samoa
- 1Russia
Highest Waves
- 29.0 mIwate Coast · Japan · 226 km
- 23.0 mShirahama (Sanrikucho) · Japan · 240 km
- 23.0 mN. Rikuzen · Japan · 246 km344 deaths
- 21.0 mMiyagi Coast · Japan · 328 km
- 19.5 mHirota · Japan · 252 km
- 16.9 mAkedo · Japan · 240 km
- 13.6 mChikei-Kitagawa · Japan · 223 km
- 13.0 mRikuchu (N.) · Japan · 247 km1,678 deaths
- 13.0 mOmoto · Japan · 235 km
- 13.0 mOtanabe · Japan · 246 km
Other Major Tsunamis in the Region
- 2011Honshu Island, Japan · 39.3 m18,423 deaths
- 1983Noshiro, Japan · 14.9 m104 deaths
- 1982Hokkaido Island, Japan · 1.3 m110 deaths
- 1968Off East Coast of Honshu Island, Japan · 6.0 m52 deaths
- 1964Nw. Honshu Island, Japan · 5.8 m36 deaths
- 1905Japan: Off Fukushima, Japan57 deaths
Sources: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Global Historical Tsunami Database (doi:10.7289/V5PN93H7) · Natural Earth