Earthquakes M5.5+ around Japan (1900-2016)
M7.0-7.9=163 EQs, M8.0+=14 EQs.^[1]

This is a list of earthquakes in Japan with either a magnitude greater than or equal to 7.0 or which caused significant damage or casualties. As indicated below, magnitude is measured on the Richter magnitude scale (M_L) or the moment magnitude scale (M_w), or the surface wave magnitude scale (M_s) for very old earthquakes. The present list is not exhaustive, and reliable and precise magnitude data is scarce for earthquakes that occurred prior to the development of modern measuring instruments.

Geological background[edit]

The islands comprising the Japanese Archipelago were separated from mainland Asia by back-arc spreading

The islands of Japan are primarily the result of several large oceanic movements occurring over hundreds of millions of years from the mid-Silurian to the Pleistocene as a result of the subduction of the Philippine Sea Plate beneath the continental Amurian Plate and Okinawa Plate to the south, and subduction of the Pacific Plate under the Okhotsk Plate to the north.

Japan was originally attached to the eastern coast of the Eurasian continent. The subducting plates, being deeper than the Eurasian plate, pulled Japan eastward, opening the Sea of Japan around 15 million years ago.^[2] The Strait of Tartary and the Korea Strait opened much later. Today the Japanese archipelago is considered a mature island arc and is the result of several generations of subducting plates. Approximately 15,000 km of oceanic floor has passed under the Japanese area in the last 450 million years, with most being fully subducted.^[2]

Japan is situated in a volcanic zone on the Pacific Ring of Fire.^[2] Frequent low intensity earth tremors and occasional volcanic activity are felt throughout the islands. Destructive earthquakes, often resulting in tsunamis, occur several times a century.

History[edit]

Although there is mention of an earthquake in Yamato in what is now Nara Prefecture on August 23, 416, the first to be reliably documented took place in Nara prefecture on May 28, 599 during the reign of Empress Suiko, destroying buildings throughout Yamato province.^[3][4][5] Many historical records of Japanese earthquakes exist, and the Imperial Earthquake Investigation Committee was created in 1892 to conduct a systematic collation of the available historical data, published in 1899 as the Catalogue of Historical Data on Japanese Earthquakes.^[5] Following the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, the Imperial Earthquake Investigation Committee was superseded by the Earthquake Research Institute in 1925.^[4] In modern times, the catalogues compiled by Tatsuo Usami are considered to provide the most authoritative source of information on historic earthquakes, with the 2003 edition detailing 486 that took place between 416 and 1888.^[4]

Earthquake measurement[edit]

In Japan, the shindo scale is commonly used to measure earthquakes by seismic intensity instead of magnitude. This is similar to the Modified Mercalli scale used in the United States or the Liedu scale used in China, meaning that the scale measures the intensity of an earthquake at a given location instead of measuring the energy an earthquake releases at its epicenter (its magnitude) as the Richter scale does.^[6]

Unlike other seismic intensity scales, which normally have twelve levels of intensity, shindo (震度, seismic intensity, literally "degree of shaking") as used by the Japan Meteorological Agency is a unit with ten levels, ranging from shindo zero, a very light tremor, to shindo seven, a severe earthquake.^[6] Intermediate levels for earthquakes with shindo five and six are "weak" or "strong", according to the degree of destruction they cause. Earthquakes measured at shindo four and lower are considered to be weak to mild, while those measured at five and above can cause heavy damage to furniture, wall tiles, wooden houses, reinforced concrete buildings, roads, gas and water pipes.^[6]

Earthquakes[edit]

Date	Magnitude	Death toll	Name of quake	Japanese name	Rōmaji name	Epicenter	Description
November 29, 684 (Gregorian calendar) November 26, 684 (Julian calendar)	8.4 MK(Kawasumi scale)[7]	101–1000	Hakuhou Nankai earthquake	白鳳南海地震	Hakuhou Nankai jishin	32°48′N 134°18′E / 32.8°N 134.3°E / 32.8; 134.3	Various references estimate the quake's magnitude at 8.0 to 8.4, with damage being "severe". The dates of the quake have also been listed variously as October 14 (incorrect date) and November 24.[8]
June 5, 745(G) June 1, 745(J)	7.9 MK		occurred at Minoh	天平地震	Tenbyou jishin	34°48′N 135°30′E / 34.8°N 135.5°E / 34.8; 135.5	Some references describe the quake as occurring on June 9[9]
July 13, 869(G) July 9, 869(J)	8.9 MK	1,000+[10]	869 Sanriku earthquake	貞観地震	Jōgan jishin	38°30′N 143°48′E / 38.5°N 143.8°E / 38.5; 143.8	The resulting tsunami caused extensive flooding of the Sendai plain, destroying the town of Tagajō.[11]
May 27, 1293(G) May 20, 1293(J)	7.3	23,024[12]	1293 Kamakura earthquake	鎌倉大地震	Kamakura Daijishin	35°12′N 139°24′E / 35.2°N 139.4°E / 35.2; 139.4	The earthquake struck close to the city of Kamakura, Kanagawa and its magnitude has been estimated in the 7.1–7.5 range.[13] It possibly triggered a tsunami (though not all experts agree)[14][15] and the death toll has been reported as 23,024.[12]
August 3, 1361(G) July 26, 1361(J)	8.3 M		Shōhei earthquake	正平南海地震	Shōhei Nankai Jishin	33°00′N 135°00′E / 33.0°N 135.0°E / 33.0; 135.0	Triggered a tsunami.[16][17]
September 20, 1498(G) September 11, 1498(J)	8.6 MK	31,000[18]	1498 Nankai earthquake	明応地震	Meiō jishin	34°00′N 138°06′E / 34.0°N 138.1°E / 34.0; 138.1	Occurred off the coast of Nankai, Japan, at about 08:00 local time on 20 September 1498. It had a magnitude estimated at 8.6[18] MS and triggered a large tsunami. The death toll associated with this event is uncertain, but 31,000 casualties were reported.[19]
January 18, 1586	7.9 MK		Tensho or Ise Bay earthquake	天正大地震	Tenshō Daijishin		Some islands in Ise Bay reportedly disappeared[20][21]
February 3, 1605	7.9 MK	5,000+[22]	1605 Nankai earthquake	慶長大地震	Keichō Daijishin	33°30′N 138°30′E / 33.5°N 138.5°E / 33.5; 138.5	The 1605 Keichō Nankaidō earthquake occurred at about 20:00 local time on 3 February. It had an estimated magnitude of 7.9 on the surface wave magnitude scale and triggered a devastating tsunami that resulted in thousands of deaths in the Nankai and Tōkai regions of Japan. It is uncertain whether there were two separate earthquakes separated by a short time interval or a single event. It is referred to as a tsunami earthquake, in that the size of the tsunami greatly exceeds that expected from the magnitude of the earthquake.[23]
September 27, 1611	6.9 MK	3,700+ (Official estimate)	1611 Aizu earthquake	会津地震	Aizu Jishin	Aizu basin, (Present day of Fukushima Prefecture)	According to official estimated report, more than 3,700 human fatalities. Aizuwakamatsu Castle, many temples, and 20,000 houses collapsed in the damaged areas.
December 2, 1611	8.1	2,000+	1611 Sanriku earthquake	慶長三陸地震	Keicho Sanriku Daijishin	39°00′N 144°24′E / 39.0°N 144.4°E / 39.0; 144.4	Occurred on December 2, 1611 with an epicenter off the Sanriku coast in Iwate Prefecture. The magnitude of the earthquake was 8.1M.[24]
June 16, 1662	7¼ - 7.6M	700-900[25]	1662 Kanbun Ōmi and Wakasa earthquake	寛文近江・若狭地震	kanbun Ōmi wakasa jishin	Lake Biwa south	Strong tremor in Ōmi · Wakasa area. This earthquake is causing crustal deformation(East of Lake Suigetsu：Rose 4.5 meter).[26]
December 31, 1703	8.0 ML	5,233	1703 Genroku earthquake	元禄大地震	Genroku Daijishin	Edo	This earthquake shook Edo and killed an estimated 2,300 people. The earthquake is thought to have been an interplate earthquake whose focal region extended from Sagami Bay to the tip of the Bōsō Peninsula as well as the area along the Sagami Trough in the open sea southeast of the Boso Peninsula. This earthquake then resulted in a tsunami which hit the coastal areas of the Boso Peninsula and Sagami Bay. The tsunami was reported to have caused more than 10,000 fatalities.
October 28, 1707	8.6 ML	5,000+	1707 Hōei earthquake	宝永地震	Hōei jishin	Off the Kii Peninsula	Struck both the Nankaidō and Tōkai regions, causing moderate to severe damage throughout southwestern Honshu, Shikoku and southeastern Kyūshū.[27]
April 24, 1771	7.4 MK	13,486[28]	1771 Great Yaeyama Tsunami	八重山地震	Yaeyama jishin	24°00′N 124°18′E / 24.0°N 124.3°E / 24.0; 124.3	The 1771 Great Yaeyama Tsunami (also called 明和の大津波, the Great Tsunami of Meiwa) was caused by the Yaeyama Great Earthquake at about 8 A.M. on April 24. 13,486 people (including 9,313 in Yaeyama Islands (8,815 in Ishigaki Island), 2,548 in Miyako Islands and 1,625 in other areas) were confirmed to be dead or missing and more than 3,000 houses were destroyed.[28] The height of the tsunami was over 40 meters at Ishigaki Island, up to a maximum of 85.4 meters in the village called Miyara. In Tarama, estimated tsunami runup height was approximately 18 meters. To this day, boulders reportedly launched by the tsunami (called "tsunami stones") remain in the northwestern highlands of Miyakojima. According to unverified local legend, a small unnamed island in the area was swallowed by the tsunami and disappeared.
May 21, 1792	6.4 MK	15,448[29]	1792 Unzen earthquake and tsunami	島原大変肥後迷惑	Unzen jishin (Shimabara Taihen Higo Meiwaku)	32°48′N 130°18′E / 32.8°N 130.3°E / 32.8; 130.3	Changes to the Ariake Sea coastline, in the center of Mount Unzen, Kumamoto Prefecture (right) and the Amakusa Islands (see below) were affected by the tsunami An earthquake caused by volcanic activity of Mount Unzen (in the Shimabara Peninsula Nagasaki, Japan). It killed 15,000 people altogether, due in large part to a tsunami that was triggered by the collapse of nearby Mount Mayuyama's southern flank into the bay. The incident is also referred to with the phrase 'Shimabara erupted, Higo affected' (岛原大変肥后迷惑), as many people in Higo, (Kumamoto, located 20 km away across the Ariake Sea) were also killed by the resulting tsunami, which then bounced back to hit Shimabara again.[29]
December 18, 1828	6.9 MK	1,559 (official confirmed)	1828 Echigo Sanjō earthquake	越後三条地震	Echigo Sanjō Jishin	Sanjo, Niigata Prefecture (then Echigo Province)	According to the official confirmed report, 21,134 houses and buildings were damaged, and 1,204 of them burned down. There were 1,559 human fatalities, and 2,666 injured people in the affected area.
May 8, 1847	7.3 M	8,600+	1847 Nagano earthquake	善光寺地震	Zenkōji Jishin	Nagano Basin (then Shinano Province)	In the central area of Nagano, many buildings collapsed, including Zenkōji temple. The earthquake triggered a complex variety of resulting disasters, which included fires, landslides, and flooding due to the formation and subsequent collapse of a "dam" made of debris from the collapsed buildings. According to the confirmed official report, the death toll throughout the region reached at least 8,600. 21,000 houses were damaged and 3,400 burned, and an additional 44,000 homes were damaged by the landslides in the area.
July 9, 1854	7.25 'MK	995 (official confirmed)	1854 Iga Ueno earthquake	伊賀上野地震	Iga Ueno Jishin	Iga, Mie Prefecture (then Iga Province)	According to the official confirmed report, 2,576 houses and buildings were damaged, with 995 human fatalities and 994 injures in the affected area.
December 23, 1854	8.4 MK	2,000 (estimated)[30]	1854 Tōkai earthquake	安政東海地震	Ansei Tōkai Jishin	Suruga Bay	The epicenter ranged from Suruga Bay to the deep ocean, and the quake struck primarily in the Tōkai region, but destroyed houses as far away as in Edo. The accompanying tsunami caused damage along the entire coast from the Bōsō Peninsula in modern-day Chiba prefecture to Tosa province (modern-day Kōchi Prefecture).[31]
December 24, 1854	8.4 MK	10,000+	1854 Nankai earthquake	安政南海地震	Ansei Nankai Jishin	Nankai Trough	Over 10,000 people from the Tōkai region down to Kyushu were killed.[31]
November 11, 1855	6.9 MK	6,641	1855 Edo earthquake	安政江戸地震	Ansei Edo Jishin	Edo, near the mouth of the Arakawa River	One hundred and twenty earthquakes and tremors in total were felt in Edo in 1854–55. The great earthquake struck after 10 o'clock in the evening; roughly 30 aftershocks ensued, continuing until dawn. Records from the time indicate 6,641 deaths inside the city and 2,759 injuries; much of the city was destroyed by fire, leading many people to stay in rural inns. Aftershocks continued for twenty days.[31]
April 9, 1858	7.0	200–300	1858 Hietsu earthquake	飛越地震	Hietsu Jishin	Atotsugawa Fault	It occurred on the Atotsugawa Fault, which connects Mount Tate in Toyama Prefecture and the Amō Pass in Gifu Prefecture on the island of Honshū in Japan. Its name includes one kanji from Hida (飛騨国) and one from Etchū (越中国), the names of the provinces that were in use at the time. The earthquake is estimated to have killed 200–300 people. It also caused the Mount Tonbi Landslide and blocked the upper reaches of the Jōganji River.[32]
March 18, 1872	7.1 MK	551 (official confirmed)	1872 Hamada earthquake	浜田地震	Hamada Jishin	off coast Hamada, Shimane Prefecture	According to the official confirmed report, 4506 houses were damaged by the earthquake, 230 houses were burned, 551 people were killed, and landslides destroyed 6567 homes in the affected area. This quake occurred at 16:40 local time.
February 22, 1880	5.5-6.0	0	1880 Yokohama earthquake	横浜地震	Yokohama Jishin	Yokohama City	The damage was minor. However, The Japan Seismological Society was established on the occasion of this.[33]
July 28, 1889	6.3	20	1889 Kumamoto earthquake	熊本地震	Kumamoto Jishin	Tatsuda fault	First major earthquake after the establishment of the Seismological Society of Japan in 1880.
October 28, 1891	8.0 ML	7,273	1891 Mino–Owari earthquake	美濃・尾張地震	Mino Owari Jishin	Neodani Fault	A large earthquake that struck the former provinces of Mino and Owari in the Nōbi Plain area during the Meiji period in Japan. It is also referred to as the Nōbi Earthquake (濃尾地震 Nōbi Jishin) or the Great Nōbi Earthquake (濃尾大地震 Nōbi Daijishin).
June 20, 1894	6.6 ML	31	1894 Tokyo earthquake	明治東京地震	Meiji-Tokyo Jishin	Tokyo Bay	This earthquake occurred in Tokyo, Japan at 14:04 on June 20, 1894. It affected downtown Tokyo and neighboring Kanagawa prefecture, especially the cities of Kawasaki and Yokohama.[34] The depth of the 1894 earthquake has not been determined, but it is thought to have occurred within the subducting Pacific Plate under the Kantō region.[35] The death toll was 31 killed and 157 injured.
October 22, 1894	7.0 ML	726 (Official confirmed)	1894 Shōkai earthquake	庄内地震	Shōnai Jishin	Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture	According to the official confirmed report, 14,118 houses and buildings were damaged and 2,148 were burned. There were 726 human fatalities and 8,403 people injured in the damaged area. A large-scale fire broke out in Sakata, and around the Shonai plain area, many instances of cracked earth, sinking ground, sand boils, and fountains were observed.
June 15, 1896	8.5 ML	22,000+[36]	1896 Sanriku earthquake	明治三陸地震	Meiji Sanriku Jishin		This quake occurred off the coast of Sanriku in Iwate Prefecture, which caused a tsunami of 25 m (82 ft) to strike 35 minutes after the quake, destroying hundreds of houses and killed over 22,000 people. Tsunami were also observed as far away as Hawaii and in California.[37][38]
September 1, 1923	8.3 ML	142,800[39]	1923 Great Kantō earthquake	大正関東地震 (関東大震災)	Taishō Kantō Jishin (Kantō Daishinsai)	Izu Ōshima	An earthquake which struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58 on the morning of September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes. The quake had an epicenter deep beneath Izu Ōshima Island in Sagami Bay. It devastated Tokyo, the port city of Yokohama, and the surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka, and caused widespread damage throughout the Kantō region.[40] The power and intensity of the earthquake is easy to underestimate, but the 1923 earthquake managed to move the 93-ton Great Buddha statue at Kamakura. The statue slid forward almost two feet.[41] Casualty estimates range up to about 142,800 deaths, a figure including approximately 40,000 who went missing and were presumed dead.
May 23, 1925	6.8 ML	428	1925 Kita Tajima earthquake	北但馬地震	Kita Tajima Jishin	Toyooka in Hyōgo Prefecture	This earthquake's epicenter was (35.6 degrees north latitude, 134.8 degrees east longitude), in the Maruyama River estuary. According to the Japanese government's official report, there were 428 human fatalities, 1,016 people injured, 7,863 buildings destroyed, and 45,659 houses damaged by collapse or fire. This quake caused extensive damage to the town of Toyooka and the Maruyama River area. Just before the shaking could be felt, a sound like a cannon was reportedly heard intermittently from the direction of the estuary near the Maruyama River. During the earthquake, the ground in the town of Tokyooka experienced strong seismic vibrations for 16 seconds. As most of the buildings of the time were wooden, many of them were destroyed at once during the initial earthquake. In the fire that broke out subsequently, half of Toyooka was burned down, with many deaths resulting (a reported 8% of the town's population.) 272 deaths were confirmed to have occurred in the Kinosaki area.
March 7, 1927	7.6 ML	3,020	1927 Kita Tango earthquake	北丹後地震	Kita Tango Jishin	Tango Peninsula in Kyoto Prefecture	Almost all of the houses in Mineyama (now part of Kyōtango) were destroyed, and the quake was felt as far away as Tokyo and Kagoshima.[42]
November 26, 1930	7.3 Ms	272	1930 North Izu earthquake	1930年北伊豆地震	Sen-kyūhyaku-sanjū-nen Kita-Izu Jishin	Izu Peninsula
March 2, 1933	8.4 Mw[43]	3,000+	1933 Sanriku earthquake	昭和三陸地震	Shōwa Sanriku Jishin	290 km (180 mi) east of the city of Kamaishi, Iwate	Kamaishi Bay, Iwate after 1933 earthquake and tsunami A major earthquake whose associated tsunami caused widespread damage to towns on the Sanriku coast of the Tōhoku region of Honshū, Japan in 1933.[44]
November 3, 1936	7.2 Ms	0	1936 Miyagi earthquake	1936年宮城県沖地震	Sen-kyūhyaku-sanjūroku-nen Miyagi-ken-oki Jishin	offshore Miyagi
September 10, 1943	7.2 ML	1,083	1943 Tottori earthquake	鳥取地震	Tottori Jishin	offshore from Ketaka District	An earthquake which occurred in Tottori prefecture, Japan at 17:36 on September 10, 1943. Although the earthquake occurred during World War II, information about the disaster was surprisingly uncensored, and relief volunteers and supplies came from many parts of the Japanese empire, including Manchukuo. The Tottori earthquake had its epicenter offshore from Ketaka District, now part of Tottori city, with a magnitude of 7.2 on the Richter Scale. The magnitude of the earthquake was 6.0 in Tottori city, and 5.0 as far away as Okayama on the Inland Sea.[45]
December 7, 1944	8.1 Mw	1,223	1944 Tōnankai earthquake	昭和東南海地震	Shōwa Tōnankai Jishin	34°00′N 137°06′E / 34.0°N 137.1°E / 34.0; 137.1	This earthquake occurred on Dec. 7, 1944, at 13:35 local time (04:35 UTC). Its moment magnitude was 8.1 and it was felt with a maximum intensity of 5 on the Shindo scale (or VII, "Severe", on the Mercalli intensity scale). It struck the provinces along the coast of the Tōkai region, causing serious damage and triggering a tsunami. The earthquake and tsunami combined killed 1,223 people, with injuries reported to have affected 20,000 people or more.[46]
January 13, 1945	6.8 ML	1180 + 1126 missing	1945 Mikawa earthquake	三河地震	Mikawa Jishin	Mikawa Bay	An earthquake which occurred off Mie and Aichi prefectures, Japan at 03:38 on January 13, 1945. As the earthquake occurred during World War II, information about the disaster was censored, and efforts at keeping the disaster secret hampered relief efforts and contributed to a high death toll.[47] The Mikawa earthquake had its epicenter offshore in Mikawa Bay (34°42.1′N 137°6.8′E / 34.7017°N 137.1133°E / 34.7017; 137.1133 at a depth of eleven kilometers). The city of Tsu recorded a magnitude of 6 on the Richter Scale; however, areas in southern Aichi prefecture were closer to the epicenter, and suffered significant damage.
December 20, 1946	8.1 Mw	1,362	1946 Nankai earthquake	昭和南海地震	Shōwa Nankai Jishin	Nankai Trough	A major earthquake in Nankaidō, Japan. Occurred on December 20, 1946 at 19:19 UTC. The earthquake was felt from Northern Honshū to Kyūshū.[48]
June 28, 1948	7.1 Mw	3,769	1948 Fukui earthquake	福井地震	Fukui Jishin	near Maruoka, Fukui	A major earthquake in Fukui Prefecture, Japan. It struck at 5:13 p.m. on June 28, 1948 (the then Japan Daylight Saving Time; JDT). The strongest shaking occurred in the city of Fukui, where it was recorded as 6 (equivalent to the current 7) on the Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale. The coordinates of the earthquake were 36゜10.3'N　136゜17.4'E (around the town of Maruoka).[49]
March 4, 1952	8.1 Mw	28	1952 Hokkaido earthquake	1952年十勝沖地震	Sen-kyūhyaku-goūjūni-nen Tokachi-Oki Jishin	42°18′N 144°54′E / 42.3°N 144.9°E / 42.3; 144.9	The 1952 Hokkaido earthquake took place around March 4, 1952 in the sea east of Hokkaido. On the Moment magnitude scale, it measured 8.1. Casualties occurred due to the earthquake.[50]
August 19, 1961	7.0	8	1961 Mino earthquake	北美濃地震	Kitamino Jishin	36°6′7″N 136°42′0″E / 36.10194°N 136.70000°E / 36.10194; 136.70000	One of the earthquakes that the Japan Meteorological Agency named for the.[51] 8 people dead.[52]
June 16, 1964	7.6 Mw	26	1964 Niigata earthquake	新潟地震	Niigata Jishin	50 km north of Niigata	The earthquake caused widespread soil liquefaction in the city of Niigata, resulting in unusually high levels of damage to buildings for the felt intensity.[53]
April 1, 1968	7.5 Mw	0	1968 Hyūga-nada earthquake	1968年日向灘地震	Sen-kyūhyaku-rokujūhachi-nen Hyūga-nada Jishin	Hyūga-nada Sea	[54]
May 16, 1968	8.2 Mw	52	1968 Tokachi earthquake	1968年十勝沖地震	Sen-kyūhyaku-rokujūhachi-nen Tokachi-oki Jishin	Offshore of Misawa, Japan	This earthquake struck off the coast of Honshu Island, near Misawa Japan, Aomori Prefecture, and was followed by a significant tsunami. The earthquake and ensuing tsunami claimed 52 lives and resulted in significant material damage in Northern Japan.[55][56]
May 9, 1974	6.5 Ms	25	1974 Izu Peninsula earthquake	1974年伊豆半島沖地震	Sen-kyūhyaku-nanajūyo-nen Izu-hantō-oki Jishin	near Izu Peninsula
June 12, 1978	7.7 Ms	28	1978 Miyagi earthquake	宮城県沖地震	Miyagi-ken-oki jishin	just offshore Miyagi Prefecture	Damage was greatest around Sendai, and the earthquake triggered widespread landslides.[57][58]
May 26, 1983	7.8 Ms	104	1983 Sea of Japan earthquake	日本海中部地震	Nihonkai-chubu jishin	off coast 50 miles (80 kilometers)from Noshiro, Akita Prefecture	Rising up to 30 feet (10 meters) above the coastline, the tsunami created by this earthquake was observed throughout a wide area along the Sea of Japan's coast and caused damage from Tsuruoka to Goshogawara. 100 people lost their lives to the tsunami, including seawall construction workers and beachgoers. In total, 104 people were killed. Soil liquification was widely observed through the affected area.
September 14, 1984	6.3 Ms	29	1984 Otaki earthquake	長野県西部地震	Nagano-ken-seibu jishin	Mount Ontake, Otaki, Nagano Prefecture	Overall, 29 people were killed and 10 injured.
July 12, 1993	7.7 Mw	202	1993 Hokkaidō earthquake	北海道南西沖地震	Hokkaidō Nansei Oki Jishin	42°51′04″N 139°11′49″E / 42.851°N 139.197°E / 42.851; 139.197
December 28, 1994	7.7 Mw	3	1994 offshore Sanriku earthquake	三陸はるか沖地震	Sanriku-haruka-oki Jishin	40°27′04″N 143°29′28″E / 40.451°N 143.491°E / 40.451; 143.491	[59]
January 17, 1995	7.3 Mw	6,434	Great Hanshin earthquake	兵庫県南部地震 (阪神・淡路大震災)	Hyōgoken Nanbu Jishin (Hanshin-Awaji Daishinsai )	northern end of Awaji Island	Damage in Kobe An earthquake in Japan that occurred on Tuesday January 17, 1995 at 05:46 JST in the southern part of Hyōgo Prefecture. It measured Mw 6.8 on the Moment magnitude scale (USGS),[60] and Mj7.3 on the revised (7.2 on the old) JMA magnitude scale.[61] The tremors lasted for approximately 20 seconds. The hypocenter of the earthquake was located 16 km (9.9 mi) beneath its epicenter,[61] on the northern end of Awaji Island, 20 km (12 mi) away from the city of Kobe.
May 4, 1998	7.5 Mw	0	1998 Ryukyu Islands earthquake	石垣島南方沖地震	Ishigakijima nanpō-oki jishin	22°18′N 125°18′E / 22.30°N 125.30°E / 22.30; 125.30	The epicentre was in the Philippine Sea, far off the coast (260 km from Ishigaki Island, Japan, 400 km from Basco, Philippines, and 425 km from Hualian, Taiwan).[62]
March 24, 2001	6.7 Mw	2	2001 Geiyo earthquake	2001年芸予地震	Nisen-ichi-nen Gēyo Jishin	34°04′59″N 128°01′12″E / 34.083°N 128.020°E / 34.083; 128.020
September 25, 2003	8.3 Mw	1	2003 Hokkaidō earthquake	2003年十勝沖地震	Nisen-san-nen Tokachi-oki Jishin	41°47′N 143°52′E / 41.78°N 143.86°E / 41.78; 143.86	An earthquake occurring in Hokkaido on September 25, 2003. It measured 8.3 on the Moment magnitude scale and caused extensive damage to roads all around Hokkaido, several power outages, and landslides which resulted in further damage.[63]
October 23, 2004	6.9 Mw	40	2004 Chūetsu earthquake	新潟県中越地震	Chūetsu Jishin	Ojiya, Niigata	Occurred at 5:56 p.m. (local time) on Saturday, October 23, 2004. The initial earthquake caused noticeable shaking across almost half of Honshū, including parts of the Tohoku, Hokuriku, Chūbu, and Kantō regions.
March 20, 2005	7.0 Mw	1	2005 Fukuoka earthquake	福岡県西方沖地震	Fukuoka-ken Seihō Oki Jishin	Fukuoka PrefectureIn the Genkai Sea about 6 km (3.7 mi) northwest of Genkai Island at the mouth of Fukuoka Harbor	This earthquake struck Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan at 10:53:40 JST on March 20 and lasted for approximately 50 seconds. The quake occurred along a previously unknown fault in the Genkai Sea, North of Fukuoka city, and the residents of Genkai Island were forced to evacuate as houses collapsed and landslides occurred in places. Investigations subsequent to the earthquake determined that the new fault was most likely an extension of the known Kego Fault that runs through the center of the city.
August 16, 2005	7.2 Mw	0	2005 Miyagi earthquake	宮城県沖地震	Miyagi-ken Oki Jishin	Miyagi Prefectureabout 55 km (34 mi) due east of the Oshika Peninsula in Miyagi Prefecture	A powerful earthquake that struck the east coast of the Japanese island of Honshū at 11:46 (02:46 UTC) on August 16, causing casualties, building collapses and power outages. The earthquake began on Tuesday, August 16, 2005, and affected Japan's northeastern coast. It triggered a tsunami warning, and buildings shook 200 miles away in the capital, Tokyo. It was initially estimated to have a rating of 6.8., and the U.S. Geological Survey later registered it as a 7.2.[64]
November 15, 2006	8.3 Mw	0	2006 Kuril Islands earthquake	2006年千島列島沖地震	Nisen-roku-nen Chishima Rettō Oki Jishin	Kuril Islands about 160 km (99 mi) due east of the southern tip of Simushir in the Kuril Islands	The earthquake happened at 20:29 JST on November 15, 2006, causing a tsunami to hit the Japanese northern coast.
January 13, 2007	8.1 Mw	0	2007 Kuril Islands earthquake	2007年千島列島沖地震	Nisen-nana-nen Chishima Rettō Oki Jishin	46°28.8′N 154°04.48′E / 46.4800°N 154.07467°E / 46.4800; 154.07467	The earthquake happened at 1:23 p.m. JST (04:23 UTC) and resulted in a tsunami warning but did not cause significant damage.[65] The epicentre was located 95 km to the south east of the 2006 Kuril Islands earthquake that struck a few weeks earlier.
March 25, 2007	6.9 Mw	1	2007 Noto earthquake	能登半島地震	Noto Hantō Jishin	Ishikawa Prefectureabout 11 km (6.8 mi) due west of the southern end of the town of Wajima	At 9:42 a.m., a magnitude 6.9 earthquake, struck the Hokuriku region of Japan, near the Noto Peninsula. The earthquake shook the city of Nanao and the town of Anamizu with a seismic intensity of 6+ on Japan's shindo scale. One death, in the city of Wajima, and at least 214 injuries have been reported. A tsunami advisory was immediately made for the Kaga coast and Noto coast, and a 10–20 cm wave hit shore about 30 minutes later.[66]
July 16, 2007	6.6 Mw	11	2007 Chūetsu offshore earthquake	新潟県中越沖地震	Niigata-ken Chūetsu Oki Jishin	Niigata Prefectureabout 29 km (18 mi) west of Niigata	The earthquake[67]) was a powerful magnitude 6.6 earthquake[68][69] that occurred 10:13 a.m. local time (01:13 UTC) on July 16, 2007, in the northwest Niigata region of Japan. The earthquake shook Niigata and neighbouring prefectures. The city of Kashiwazaki and the villages of Iizuna and Kariwa registered the highest seismic intensity of a strength 6 on Japan's shindo scale, but the quake was felt as far away as Tokyo.[68] Eleven deaths and at least 1,000 injuries have been reported, and 342 buildings were completely destroyed, mostly older wooden structures.[68][70][71]
June 14, 2008	6.9 Mw	12	2008 Iwate–Miyagi Nairiku earthquake	岩手・宮城内陸地震	Iwate Miyagi Nairiku Jishin	Iwate Prefectureabout 1 km (0.62 mi) east of Narusawa Onsen in northwest Iwate Prefecture	This earthquake struck the central Tōhoku region, in northeastern Honshū, Japan.[72]
August 11, 2009	6.6 Mw	1	2009 Shizuoka earthquake	駿河湾地震	Suruga-wan Jishin	33°48′N 138°30′E / 33.8°N 138.50°E / 33.8; 138.50, depth 20.0 km	[73]
February 26, 2010	7.0 Mw	1	Ryūkyū Islands earthquake	沖縄本島近海地震	Okinawa-hontō-kinkai Jishin	25°54′07″N 128°25′01″E / 25.902°N 128.417°E / 25.902; 128.417, depth 22.0 km	[74]
December 21, 2010	7.4 Mw	0	Bonin Islands earthquake	父島近海地震	Chichijima-kinkai Jishin	26°51′58″N 143°44′20″E / 26.866°N 143.739°E / 26.866; 143.739, depth 14.9 km	[75]
March 9, 2011	7.2 Mw	0	2011 Tōhoku earthquake foreshock	東北地方太平洋沖地震(Foreshock) (東日本大震災)	Tōhokuchihō Taiheiyō Oki Jishin (Higashi Nihon Dai-Shinsai)	38°25′26″N 142°50′10″E / 38.424°N 142.836°E / 38.424; 142.836, depth 32 km	[76]
March 11, 2011 05:46:23 UTC (14:46 JST)	9.1 Mw	15,896 deaths,[77] confirmed.	2011 Tōhoku earthquake	東北地方太平洋沖地震 (東日本大震災)	Tōhokuchihō Taiheiyō Oki Jishin (Higashi Nihon Dai-Shinsai)	38°30′36″N 142°47′31″E / 38.510°N 142.792°E / 38.510; 142.792, depth 29 km	This megathrust earthquake's hypocenter was reported to be off the Oshika Peninsula, the east coast of Tōhoku[78] It was the strongest to hit Japan and one of the top five largest earthquakes in the world since seismological record-keeping began.[79][80][81] It was followed by a tsunami with waves of up to 10 m (33 ft).[79] The disaster left thousands dead and inflicted extensive material damage to buildings and infrastructure that led to significant accidents at four major nuclear power stations.
March 11, 2011 06:25:50 UTC	7.1 Mw	0	2011 Tōhoku earthquake aftershock	東北地方太平洋沖地震(Aftershock) (東日本大震災)	Tōhokuchihō Taiheiyō Oki Jishin (Higashi Nihon Dai-Shinsai)	38°06′22″N 144°33′11″E / 38.106°N 144.553°E / 38.106; 144.553, depth 19.7 km	"Magnitude 7.1 - Off the East Coast of Honshu, JAPAN REGION". Earthquake.usgs.gov. Archived from the original on 2011-03-17. Retrieved 2011-03-12..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
April 7, 2011 23:30:00 JST	7.1 Mw	4	2011 Miyagi earthquake aftershock	宮城県沖地震	Miyagi-ken Oki Jishin	38°15′11″N 141°38′24″E / 38.253°N 141.640°E / 38.253; 141.640, depth 49 km	"Magnitude 7.1 - Near the East Coast of Honshu, JAPAN REGION". Earthquake.usgs.gov. 7 April 2011. Archived from the original on 14 April 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-10.
April 11, 2011 17:16:13 JST	7.1 Mw	6	2011 Fukushima earthquake aftershock	福島県浜通り地震	Fukushima-ken Hamadori Jishin	37°00′25″N 140°28′37″E / 37.007°N 140.477°E / 37.007; 140.477, depth 10 km	"Magnitude 6.6 - East Honshu, JAPAN REGION". Earthquake.usgs.gov. 11 April 2011. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-30.
July 10, 2011 10:57:12 JST	7.0 Mw	0	2011 Fukushima earthquake aftershock	福島県浜通り地震	Fukushima-ken Hamadori Jishin	38°02′24″N 143°17′13″E / 38.040°N 143.287°E / 38.040; 143.287, depth 49 km	Quake was centered c. 242 km SW of Hachijo-jima[82][83]
January 1, 2012 14:27:54 JST	6.8 Mw	0	Izu Islands, Japan	鳥島近海地震	Torishima-kinkai Jishin	31°24′58″N 138°09′18″E / 31.416°N 138.155°E / 31.416; 138.155, depth 348.5 km	242 km (150 miles) SW of Hachijo-jima, Izu Islands, Japan 365 km (226 miles) S of Hamamatsu, Honshu, Japan
December 7, 2012 17:18:24 JST	7.3 Mw	3	2012 Kamaishi earthquake	三陸沖地震	Sanriku Oki Jishin	37°42′00″N 144°36′00″E / 37.700°N 144.600°E / 37.700; 144.600, depth 32.0 km	293 km (182 miles) SE of Kamaishi, Japan 492 km (306 miles) ENE of Tokyo, Japan[84]
October 26, 2013 02:10:19 JST	7.1 Mw	0	Off the east coast of Honshu	福島県沖地震	Fukushima-ken oki jishin	37°09′22″N 144°39′40″E / 37.156°N 144.661°E / 37.156; 144.661, 35.0 km depth	[85]
May 30, 2015 20:24 JST	7.8 Mw	0	Bonin Islands	小笠原諸島西方沖地震	Ogasawara-shoto Seihō Oki Jishin	27°49′52″N 140°29′35″E / 27.831°N 140.493°E / 27.831; 140.493, depth 677.6 km	189 km (117 mi) WNW of Chichijima, Japan[86]
April 14, 2016 21:26:39 JST	6.2 Mw	9	2016 Kumamoto earthquakes	平成28年（2016年）熊本地震	Heisei-28-nen (2016-nen) Kumamoto jishin	depth 10.0 km	7 km (4.34 miles) SW of Ueki, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan[87]
April 16, 2016 1:25 JST	7.0 Mw	41	2016 Kumamoto earthquakes	平成28年（2016年）熊本地震	Heisei-28-nen (2016-nen) Kumamoto jishin	32°47′28″N 130°45′14″E / 32.791°N 130.754°E / 32.791; 130.754, depth 10.0 km	1 km (0.62 miles) E of Kumamoto, Japan[88]
November 22, 2016 05:59:49 JST	6.9 Mw	0	2016 Fukushima earthquake	福島県沖地震	Fukushima-ken oki jishin	37°23′31″N 141°24′11″E / 37.392°N 141.403°E / 37.392; 141.403, 11.4 km depth	37 km ESE of Namie, Fukushima[89]
June 18, 2018 07:58:35 JST	5.5 Mw	4	2018 Osaka earthquake	大阪府北部地震	Ōsaka-fu Hokubu Jishin	34°50′02″N 135°36′22″E / 34.834°N 135.606°E / 34.834; 135.606, 13.2 km depth	2 km NNW of Hirakata, Osaka[90]
September 6, 2018 03:08 JST	6.6 Mw	41	2018 Hokkaido Eastern Iburi earthquake	北海道胆振東部地震	Hokkaido Iburi Tōbu Jishin	42°40′16″N 141°55′59″E / 42.671°N 141.933°E / 42.671; 141.933, 33.4 km depth	27km E of Tomakomai, Hokkaido, Japan[91]

See also[edit]

External images

Statistical map of location, size and depth of earthquakes near Japan

Zoomable map of recent earthquake activity

• Category: Japanese seismologists


• Coordinating Committee for Earthquake Prediction


• Geology of Japan


• Japan Meteorological Agency


• Japan Meteorological Agency seismic intensity scale


• List of disasters in Japan by death toll


• List of volcanoes in Japan


• Nuclear power in Japan#Seismicity


• 
  Seismicity in Japan
  
  
  
  • Kantō earthquakes
  
  
  • Nankai megathrust earthquakes
  
  
  • Seismicity of the Sanriku coast
  
  
  • Tōkai earthquakes
  
  
  • Tōnankai earthquakes
  
  
  
  

References[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• 
  Japan: large-scale floods and earthquakes. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. International government publication. 2009. ISBN 978-92-64-05639-8.
  


• 
  Alex K. Tang; Anshel J. Schiff (2010). Kashiwazaki, Japan, Earthquake of July 16, 2007. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. American Society of Civil Engineers. ISBN 978-0-7844-1062-2.
  

External links[edit]

Wikinews has related news: Quake measuring 6.9 off Japan's Honshū coast

Wikinews has related news: 2011 Sendai Earthquake

• 
  Disaster Preparedness in Japan (bilingual booklet, 3-2015 PDF from Government of Japan Cabinet Office, Director General for Disaster Management)


• Earthquakes in Japan Since 1900 | Tableau Public


• 
  Japanese disasters interactive map from 416 CE to 2013 (labels in Japanese)


• One Week of Japanese Earthquakes | Tableau Public


• 
  Media related to Earthquakes in Japan at Wikimedia Commons

External image

Statistical map of location, size and depth of earthquakes near Japan