The 1894 Shōnai earthquake (Japanese: 庄内地震[4]) is an earthquake occurred on October 22, 1894 at Sakata, Yamagata Prefecture in Japan.

It was caused by the movement of the Shonai Plain Eastern Margin Fault Zone (庄内平野東縁断層帯).

[5] According to the official confirmed report, 14,118 houses and buildings were damaged and 2,148 were burned.

[6] There were 726 fatalities and 8,403 injuries 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.