A REMOTE island chain has been rocked by more than 900 terrifying earthquakes in two weeks – forcing its residents to stay up all night.
Tokara island chain in the south of Japan – a region prone to tremors – has been rattled by 1,031 quakes since June 21.
A 5.5 magnitude quake today struck near Akuseki – one of the 12 islands in the cluster – just a day after it recorded a jolt of the same size.
Japanese authorities urged the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after the tremors were felt.
The quake hit at a depth of 12 miles, giving it a seismic intensity of “lower six” on Japan‘s 1-7 scale on Akuseki Island, the agency said.
The intensity is classified as a level that makes it “difficult to remain standing”, according to the agency.
After all residents were confirmed safe, the evacuation instruction was later lifted.
While no major damage has been reported, Tokara village said on its website that residents haven’t been able to sleep and are tired.
One resident told regional broadcaster MBC: “It feels like it’s always shaking.
“It’s very scary to even fall asleep.”
Another resident added: “It’s not clear when all this will end. I should think about whether to evacuate my kids.”
Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total.
A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area was seen in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA.
But their intensity and frequency were not as much as the slew of earthquakes that hit the region in the past two weeks.
This series of tremors comes as the country as a whole has been kept on edge by rumours that a massive, deadly quake could soon hit.
Ayataka Ebita from the Japan Meteorological Agency mentioned: “In regions where the shakes were intense, the risk of house collapses and landslides is heightened.”
“Please be aware of earthquakes of similar magnitude for the foreseeable future.”
The government released a report saying much more needed to be done to prepare for such a megaquake.
Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake is imminent.
Earthquake hotspot
Japan is one of the most geologically active areas on Earth, marked by frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis.
Japan’s location at the convergence of four significant tectonic plates — the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate — renders it especially susceptible to seismic events.
These plates are constantly shifting and colliding, creating subduction zones where one plate is forced beneath another.
The regular subduction of plates leads not only to earthquakes but also instigates underwater fault movements that can move large amounts of water, resulting in tsunamis.
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world’s earthquakes.
In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant.
Another major earthquake, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, resulted in widespread destruction and the loss of over 6,000 lives.
Nearly 600 people died after a massive earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year’s Day in 2024.
To mitigate the effects of these natural disasters, Japan has implemented advanced safety measures.
Seismic-resistant buildings are designed to sway rather than collapse during earthquakes, while early warning systems detect seismic activity and provide residents with crucial seconds to prepare.
Along the coast, tsunami defence systems, including sea walls and evacuation plans, aim to minimise casualties.
Education programmes also play a key role in making sure that citizens are prepared for emergencies.
