Seismic history

Historical earthquakes & volcanoes in Japan

Major earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and geological events in Japan, 1900–2026, with sources and detailed information.

Total earthquakes

236

M5+

Strongest

M9.1

M7+ events

129

Volcanic events

Tsunami events

⚡ Notable Historical Earthquakes(Curated with detailed information)

M9.1

Tohoku, Japan

2011-03-11

🌊 Tsunami💔 19,749 deaths

The Great East Japan Earthquake, the most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan. Triggered a massive tsunami and the Fukushima nuclear disaster.

📍 Depth: 29 km💔 Deaths: 19,749💰 Damage: $235 billion

Sources:USGS JMA Wikipedia

M6.9

Kobe, Japan

1995-01-17

💔 6,434 deaths

The Great Hanshin Earthquake devastated the city of Kobe and surrounding areas, exposing vulnerabilities in Japanese building codes.

📍 Depth: 17 km💔 Deaths: 6,434💰 Damage: $100 billion

📊 Complete Earthquake Record(M5+ from USGS database)

Date	Magnitude	Location	Depth	Source
2011-03-11	9.1	Tohoku, Japan🌊	29 km	USGS
1963-10-13	8.5	1963 Kuril Islands Earthquake	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1933-03-02	8.4	1933 Sanriku (Sanriku-oki) Earthquake, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1958-11-06	8.3	1958 Kuril Islands Earthquake	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1946-12-20	8.3	68 km S of Shing?, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1994-10-04	8.3	48 km E of Shikotan, Russia	14 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1969-08-11	8.2	1969 Hokkaido Toho-oki Earthquake	29 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1968-05-16	8.2	1968 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake	27 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2003-09-25	8.2	2003 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake	27 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1918-09-07	8.1	1918 Kuril Islands Earthquake	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1944-12-07	8.1	1944 Toankai Earthquake	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1910-04-12	8.1	1910 Taiwan Earthquake	235 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1952-03-04	8.1	1952 Tokachi-Oki Earthquake	45 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1941-11-18	8.0	1941 Hyuganada Earthquake	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1923-09-01	8.0	5 km SSE of ?iso, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1960-03-20	8.0	113 km ENE of Miyako, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1931-11-02	7.9	58 km ESE of Takanabe, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1953-11-25	7.9	174 km SE of Katsuura, Japan	25 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1911-06-15	7.9	108 km NW of Naze, Japan	150 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1995-12-03	7.9	128 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia	33 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2011-03-11	7.9	47 km E of ?arai, Japan	43 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1938-11-05	7.8	105 km E of Iwaki, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1963-10-20	7.8	217 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia	28 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2015-05-30	7.8	Bonin Islands, Japan region🌊	664 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1994-12-28	7.8	off the east coast of Honshu, Japan	27 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1919-05-03	7.7	277 km SSE of Kushiro, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1950-02-28	7.7	100 km SSE of Korsakov, Russia	329 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1973-06-17	7.7	19 km ESE of Nemuro, Japan	48 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1978-06-12	7.7	68 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan	44 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1993-07-12	7.7	107 km W of Iwanai, Japan	17 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1922-09-01	7.7	50 km SSE of Yilan, Taiwan	20 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1905-07-06	7.7	217 km ESE of Kamaishi, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2025-12-08	7.6	2025 Aomori Prefecture, Japan Earthquake🌊	41 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1915-11-01	7.6	119 km SE of Kamaishi, Japan	30 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1964-06-16	7.6	27 km NW of Murakami, Japan	16 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1991-12-22	7.6	248 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia	25 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1961-02-26	7.5	18 km NNE of Nichinan, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1901-08-09	7.5	Near the east coast of Honshu, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2024-01-01	7.5	2024 Noto Peninsula, Japan Earthquake🌊	10 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1909-11-10	7.5	18 km SE of Honmachi, Japan	140 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1968-04-01	7.5	60 km ESE of Nobeoka, Japan	31 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1940-08-01	7.5	137 km WSW of Rishiri Town, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1966-03-12	7.5	38 km SW of Yonakuni, Japan	25 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1935-09-11	7.5	42 km SSW of Shikotan, Russia	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1937-02-21	7.4	170 km ESE of Kuril’sk, Russia	30 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1948-04-17	7.4	67 km SSW of Shing?, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1916-02-01	7.4	152 km ESE of Koshima, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1939-10-10	7.4	off the east coast of Honshu, Japan	20 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2026-04-20	7.4	102 km ENE of Miyako, Japan🌊	25 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1904-06-07	7.4	164 km NNE of Ama, Japan	350 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1917-07-31	7.4	7 km WSW of Rajin, North Korea	460 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2010-12-21	7.4	Bonin Islands, Japan region	14 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1906-01-21	7.4	50 km SSW of Ōyama, Japan	300 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2004-09-05	7.4	118 km ESE of Shing?, Japan	10 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1983-05-26	7.4	83 km WNW of Noshiro, Japan	24 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2003-09-25	7.4	119 km ESE of Shizunai-furukawach?, Japan	33 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2000-08-06	7.4	Bonin Islands, Japan region	395 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1989-11-01	7.4	73 km ENE of Miyako, Japan	29 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1984-03-06	7.4	Izu Islands, Japan region	457 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1923-07-13	7.4	22 km N of Nishinoomote, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1928-05-27	7.3	79 km ENE of Miyako, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1972-12-04	7.3	206 km SSE of Wada, Japan	26 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1943-06-13	7.3	169 km ENE of Hachinohe, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1905-09-01	7.3	22 km ESE of Makubetsu, Japan	255 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2022-03-16	7.3	57 km ENE of Namie, Japan🌊	41 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1956-02-18	7.3	Izu Islands, Japan region	484 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1962-04-12	7.3	137 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan	28 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1994-10-09	7.3	96 km E of Shikotan, Russia	33 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2002-06-28	7.3	50 km SW of Dongning, China	566 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2012-12-07	7.3	234 km SE of ?funato, Japan	31 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2011-03-09	7.3	120 km SE of ?funato, Japan	32 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1933-06-18	7.3	110 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan	30 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1936-11-02	7.3	83 km E of Ishinomaki, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1908-11-06	7.2	159 km ENE of Kuril’sk, Russia	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1913-04-13	7.2	29 km ESE of Takanabe, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1910-02-12	7.2	176 km SE of Shingū, Japan	375 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1963-02-13	7.2	51 km SE of Yilan, Taiwan	30 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1946-12-21	7.2	134 km E of Shikotan, Russia	20 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1945-02-26	7.2	Volcano Islands, Japan region	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1955-05-30	7.2	Volcano Islands, Japan region	559 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1954-02-01	7.2	Volcano Islands, Japan region	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2005-08-16	7.2	66 km ESE of Ishinomaki, Japan	36 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1961-01-16	7.2	93 km ENE of Hasaki, Japan	30 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1996-02-07	7.2	158 km E of Kuril’sk, Russia	43 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1958-03-11	7.2	68 km NNE of Ishigaki, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1924-08-14	7.1	67 km ENE of Kashima-shi, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1970-05-27	7.1	Bonin Islands, Japan region	390 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1935-10-12	7.1	136 km ENE of Miyako, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1909-03-13	7.1	150 km ESE of Hasaki, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1938-11-13	7.1	200 km ESE of Iwaki, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1900-12-25	7.1	Off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan	35 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2024-08-08	7.1	2024 Hyuganada Sea, Japan Earthquake	24 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1904-08-24	7.1	61 km ESE of Nishinoomote, Japan	20 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
2021-02-13	7.1	73 km ENE of Namie, Japan🌊	44 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1951-07-11	7.1	Bonin Islands, Japan region	497 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1947-11-04	7.1	72 km W of Rumoi, Japan	15 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1965-06-11	7.1	109 km SE of Kuril’sk, Russia	48 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1973-06-24	7.1	58 km SSW of Shikotan, Russia	50 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1999-04-08	7.1	57 km ENE of Wangqing, China	566 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
1998-08-20	7.1	Bonin Islands, Japan region	441 km	USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

Showing 100 of 236 earthquakes

Historical earthquakes & volcanoes in Japan

⚡ Notable Historical Earthquakes(Curated with detailed information)

Tohoku, Japan

Kobe, Japan

🌋 Historical Volcanic Events

Mount Ontake

📊 Complete Earthquake Record(M5+ from USGS database)

📚 Data Sources