A remote chain of islands in southern Japan has been struck by over 900 earthquakes in just two weeks, leaving residents sleepless and on edge. The Tokara Islands, home to around 700 people across seven of its 12 islands, have experienced intense seismic activity since 21 June, with a magnitude 5.5 quake hitting on Wednesday.
No damage or tsunami warnings have been reported, but authorities have urged residents to be prepared for potential evacuation. The relentless tremors have left locals exhausted, with one resident, Chizuko Arikawa from Akusekijima, describing an eerie roar from the ocean before quakes strike. “It’s terrifying to even try to sleep,” she told local media. “It feels like the ground is always shaking.”
Isamu Sakamoto, head of Akusekijima’s residents’ association, said the quakes “start with a jolt from below, then the house sways. It’s sickening.” The frequency of the tremors, unusual even for the seismically active region, has disrupted daily life, with some guesthouses halting tourist bookings to serve as potential shelters.
Japan, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences around 1,500 earthquakes annually. The Tokara Islands, part of Kagoshima prefecture, are particularly isolated, with some lacking hospitals and requiring a six-hour ferry ride to reach medical facilities. Authorities in Toshima village have appealed to media to avoid overwhelming locals with inquiries, as many residents are sleep-deprived.
The tremors coincide with heightened public anxiety in Japan, fuelled by a 2021 manga prediction of a massive earthquake striking on 5 July. While most quakes in Japan are mild, the nation remains haunted by the 2011 disaster, which killed over 18,000 people. Fears of a “megaquake” persist, with worst-case scenarios estimating over 300,000 deaths. Earlier this week, the government announced new disaster preparedness measures, including embankments and evacuation buildings, but warned that more action is needed.
As the Tokara Islands brace for further tremors, residents like Arikawa express a simple hope: “We just want it to stop.”
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