The Nankai tsunami washes away the building housing the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in; it has been located outside ever since.

The 1498 Meiō earthquake struck off the coast of Nankaidō, Japan, at approximately 08:00 local time on September 20, 1498. With an estimated magnitude of 8.6 M_s, it triggered a massive tsunami. The exact death toll from this event remains uncertain, but reports range from 5,000 to 41,000 casualties. The tsunami, caused by the Meiō Nankaidō earthquake, washed away the building that housed the statue of the Great Buddha at Kōtoku-in in Kamakura, although the statue itself remained intact.

Kōtoku-in (高徳院) is a Buddhist temple of the Jōdo-shū sect in the city of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Its mountain name is Daii-zan (大異山), and its common temple name is Shōjōsen-ji (清浄泉寺).