Throughout its history, Japan has experienced numerous devastating earthquakes resulting in a large number of fatalities. One of the most significant earthquakes occurred in 1923 when the Kanto earthquake shook the Japanese island of Honshu, destroying numerous Japanese cities and causing over 140,000 deaths.
Nearly three decades earlier, in 1896, Japan faced another catastrophic earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale. This earthquake, known as the Sanriku earthquake, named after the Sanriku region in northern Japan, triggered tsunami waves leading to the death of tens of thousands.
In 1896, the Empire of Japan felt a minor quake that was noticeable to many residents in the northern regions of the country. An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.5 struck offshore, 166 kilometers from the Iwate Prefecture coast on Honshu Island. Due to various geological factors in the area, the earthquake resulted in towering tsunami waves estimated to exceed 38 meters in height.
At that time, all coastal areas of Sanriku were celebrating an important religious festival linked to Shinto beliefs. This festival coincided with jubilant celebrations for the return of Japanese conscripts from the First Sino-Japanese War, which concluded with Japan's victory and the acquisition of territories in the Pescadores, Taiwan, and the Korean Peninsula, alongside substantial financial and economic compensation from China.
During the celebrations, the local population felt a slight tremor. However, they continued to celebrate, dismissing the event as similar minor tremors had occurred in the preceding months.
Just 35 minutes after this slight tremor, a powerful tsunami wave over 38 meters high struck the area. A few minutes later, a second wave hit, claiming more survivors from the first wave. Meanwhile, the destruction and human loss were severe due to the heightened tide.
According to accounts from that time, this disaster resulted in over 22,000 deaths and the destruction of thousands of homes, with most fatalities recorded in Iwate, Miyagi, Aomori, and Hokkaido prefectures. Additionally, tsunami waves reaching approximately 9 meters high reached the Hawaiian Islands, causing material damage.
As a result of the high sea waves triggered by the Sanriku earthquake in 1896, the term "tsunami" was first recorded to describe this catastrophic phenomenon. The term was borrowed from the Japanese language, meaning "harbor wave."
