Nagasaki Bay is a typical area in Japan where seiches have been observed from time to time, most often in the spring — especially in March. On 31 March 1979, the Nagasaki tide station recorded a maximum water-level displacement of , at that location due to the seiche. The maximum water-level displacement in the whole bay during this seiche event is assumed to have reached , at the bottom of the bay. Seiches in Western Kyushu — including Nagasaki Bay — are often induced by a low in the atmospheric pressure passing South of Kyushu island. Seiches in Nagasaki Bay have a period of about 30 to 40 minutes. Locally, is called . The word of "abiki" is considered to have been derived from , which literally means: the dragging-away () of a fishing net (). Seiches not only cause damage to the local fishery but also may result in flooding of the coast around the bay, as well as in the destruction of port facilities.