The Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku, a Japanese historical text, described 'strange lights in the sky' during the 869 Jōgan earthquake, one of the earliest recorded instances of earthquake lights. These luminous phenomena, now scientifically studied, were interpreted in Heian-period Japan as supernatural portents. The earthquake itself caused widespread devastation in the Sanriku region, shaping disaster preparedness in Japanese history.

The description of earthquake lights in the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku entered Japanese literary and poetic traditions as a symbol of cosmic disturbance. Later Japanese poets, including those in the waka and haiku traditions, referenced such anomalous lights to evoke awe, impermanence, and the fragility of human life in the face of nature's power.