The 1896 Meiji-Sanriku earthquake was one of the most destructive seismic events in Japanese history. The 8.5 magnitude earthquake occurred at 19:32 (local time) on June 15, 1896, approximately 166 kilometres (103 mi) off the coast of Iwate Prefecture, Honshu. It resulted in two tsunamis which destroyed about 9,000 homes and caused at least 22,000 deaths.[3] The waves reached a record height of 38.2 metres (125 ft); more than a meter shorter than those created after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake which triggered the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents. [4]