More than 900 earthquakes have jolted Japan’s remote Tokara Islands over the past fortnight, fuelling widespread fear of an imminent megaquake, authorities said on Thursday.
Seismic tremors, several registering above 5.5 magnitude, have left residents sleepless and shaken. Though no casualties or structural damage have been reported, local officials have issued a high alert, urging residents to remain vigilant and prepare for emergency evacuation if necessary.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) confirmed that elevated seismic activity in the sea surrounding the Tokara island chain began around 21 June. “The frequency and intensity of the tremors suggest a prolonged seismic phase,” the agency noted, though it stopped short of predicting a major quake.
The tiny archipelago, home to just 700 inhabitants, is ill-equipped to deal with a crisis of scale. There are no health facilities on the islands; the nearest hospital is a six-hour ferry journey away in Kagoshima, the prefectural capital.
Local residents have reported eerie precursors to the tremors. “You can hear a strange roar from the ocean before the quakes hit, especially at night. It's eerie,” said Chizuko Arikawa from Akusekijima island. Others described a persistent sense of instability. “After so many quakes, it now feels like the ground is shaking even when it's not,” said a local community head.
Also read: Chemical secrets of Earth’s crust revealed
Japan sits precariously on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates converge, making it one of the most earthquake-prone nations in the world. On average, it records around 1,500 quakes annually.
However, the sudden spike in Tokara’s seismic activity has raised alarms beyond the islands. Experts have long feared that a massive undersea earthquake — a so-called “Nankai Trough megaquake”, could devastate southern Japan, potentially killing more than 300,000 people in a worst-case scenario.
Adding to the tension, a prediction by Japanese manga artist Ryo Tatsuki, who claims to have forecast past disasters, has resurfaced. Tatsuki believes a catastrophic earthquake may strike the nation on 5 July — a claim widely dismissed by scientists but gripping public imagination nonetheless.
While such predictions remain speculative and earthquakes notoriously hard to forecast, residents across the region continue to brace themselves. The authorities have stepped up monitoring and public awareness campaigns.
“Preparedness remains our best defence,” a JMA official said, urging calm amid the uncertainty.
Follow us
