10 Biggest Earthquakes in Japan’s History, From the 2011 Tohoku Disaster to Ancient Megaquakes Ranked by Size

Japan sits atop one of the most seismically active regions on Earth, where four major tectonic plates converge along the Pacific Ring of Fire. The country experiences roughly 1,500 earthquakes annually, according to Live Science, and accounts for approximately 20% of the world’s earthquakes with a magnitude of 6 or higher, according to StudyIQ. From that long and often destructive history, here are 10 of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded in or near Japan, ranked by magnitude.

1. Great Tohoku Earthquake (2011) — Magnitude 9.0 to 9.1

The strongest earthquake ever recorded in Japan struck off the northeastern coast of Honshu on March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. local time, according to VolcanoDiscovery. The quake triggered a devastating tsunami that swept across the Sanriku coastline and caused a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant, marking one of the most catastrophic natural disaster events in modern Japanese history. VolcanoDiscovery confirmed this remains the largest earthquake to occur in or near Japan in more than 100 years, dating back to 1900.

2. Hōei Earthquake (1707) — Magnitude 8.6 to 8.7

Striking south-central Japan on Oct. 28, 1707, at around 1:45 p.m. local time, the Hōei earthquake ruptured along the Nankai megathrust fault and affected the Chūbu, Kansai, Shikoku and Kyūshū regions, according to Wikipedia’s earthquake records. The quake produced a tsunami reaching 25.7 meters, or roughly 84 feet, and killed between 4,900 and 21,000 people. Before the 2011 Tohoku disaster, the Hōei earthquake held the record as the most powerful earthquake in recorded Japanese history.

3. Meiji-Sanriku Earthquake (1896) — Magnitude 8.5

This devastating earthquake struck the Sanriku region and killed more than 27,000 people, according to Live Science, making it one of the deadliest quakes in Japanese history despite occurring at a magnitude below some of the country’s other major seismic events. The disaster’s death toll was driven largely by the massive tsunami the earthquake generated along Japan’s northeastern coastline.

4. Ansei-Tokai and Ansei-Nankai Earthquakes (1854) — Magnitude 8.4 (Twin Quakes)

Japan experienced a remarkable pair of nearly simultaneous major earthquakes in late 1854, striking one day apart. According to Live Science, the Ansei-Nankai earthquake killed 10,000 people on the island of Kyushu, making it the deadliest earthquake of its magnitude class recorded in Japan, while the Ansei-Tokai earthquake, which struck the previous day, killed roughly 2,000 people. At the time, according to a 2006 Journal of Social History article cited by Live Science, the quakes were popularly blamed on a giant mythical catfish named Namazu, said to be thrashing beneath the earth’s surface.

5. Tokachi-oki Earthquake (1968) — Magnitude 8.2

Striking off the east coast of Honshu on May 16, 1968, this powerful quake ranked as the strongest earthquake recorded worldwide that year, according to Wikipedia’s compiled earthquake data for 1968, which logged a total of 12,081 fatalities across all recorded earthquakes globally that year, with Iran’s South Khorasan earthquake serving as the year’s single deadliest event.

6. Tonankai Earthquake (1944) — Magnitude 8.1

This earthquake struck off the south coast of Honshu on Dec. 7, 1944, and stood as the largest earthquake recorded anywhere in the world that year, according to Wikipedia’s records of 1944 seismic activity. The quake occurred during the final year of World War II, a period during which wartime conditions in Japan limited the country’s ability to fully document and respond to the disaster’s impact.

7. Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) — Magnitude 7.9

Striking the greater Tokyo region, the Great Kanto Earthquake remains one of the deadliest natural disasters in Japanese history, claiming more than 140,000 lives, according to StudyIQ. The catastrophic death toll stemmed largely from the widespread fires that swept through Tokyo and Yokohama in the earthquake’s aftermath, as the densely built wooden structures common at the time proved highly susceptible to fire following the initial shaking.

8. Sanriku Earthquake (1953) — Magnitude 7.9

Striking off the east coast of Honshu on Nov. 25, 1953, this quake was recorded as the strongest earthquake worldwide that year, according to Wikipedia’s earthquake records for 1953, a year during which a total of 11 earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater were recorded globally, with Japan producing the year’s single strongest event.

9. Aomori Earthquake (2025) — Magnitude 7.6

The most recent addition to Japan’s list of major earthquakes struck Aomori Prefecture on Dec. 8, 2025, at 11:15 p.m. local time, according to VolcanoDiscovery, making it the largest earthquake to strike in or near Japan over the past decade. The quake underscored the continued frequency of significant seismic activity across the country even in recent years.

10. Ansei Edo Earthquake (1855) — Magnitude 6.9 to 7.0

Striking Edo, present-day Tokyo, roughly one year after the twin 1854 Ansei earthquakes, this quake killed an estimated 6,600 people, according to Live Science, and is widely regarded as the most destructive of the broader Ansei earthquake sequence that struck Japan during that era, given the extensive fires and structural damage it caused throughout the densely populated capital.

Japan’s long, well-documented history of major earthquakes has driven the country to develop some of the most advanced earthquake-resistant building codes, early-warning systems and public education programs in the world. Even so, the sheer scale of seismic energy periodically released beneath the Japanese archipelago, illustrated most dramatically by the 2011 Tohoku disaster, continues to underscore the ongoing risk the country faces given its position along the convergence of four major tectonic plates. According to World Data, more than 8,100 people in Japan have died as a direct result of earthquakes since 1950 alone, with an additional 120 recorded earthquakes triggering subsequent tsunamis responsible for further loss of life and damage.

As Japan continues to experience frequent seismic activity, including smaller, more recent quakes that regularly test the country’s early-warning infrastructure, the historical record compiled above serves as a reminder of both the destructive potential embedded in the region’s tectonic geography and the resilience Japan has continued to build in response to it over centuries of recorded seismic history.