"Major Earthquake Expected in July"... Fear and Rumors Spread in Japan After Nearly 300 Quakes in Three Days

Japanese Government Prepares for Mega Earthquake
Anxiety Grows Among Travelers to Japan

As nearly 300 earthquakes occurred over the course of three days in Japan, fear and rumors related to a major earthquake are spreading.

Collapsed buildings and debris during the Great East Japan Earthquake. Getty Images

On the 23rd, MBC Minami-Nihon Broadcasting reported that at around 11:36 p.m. a magnitude 4 earthquake struck Akuseki Island, which is part of the Tokara Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Since the 21st, earthquakes have been occurring one after another in the Tokara sea area. As of midnight on the 24th, a total of 295 earthquakes had been observed, including four with a seismic intensity of 4 and eighteen with a seismic intensity of 3.

The Korea Meteorological Administration announced on the 23rd that a magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred in the Kagoshima sea area of Japan. Japan Meteorological Agency

The Toshimamura Office in Kagoshima Prefecture has been maintaining an emergency work system at night in preparation for a possible crisis, and has opened the Akuseki Island Community Center as a temporary evacuation shelter. This recent earthquake has heightened anxiety because it occurred amid the spread of rumors in Japan about a 'major earthquake coming in July.' The complete edition of the Japanese prophetic manga "The Future I Saw," which was republished in 2021, contains a scene predicting a 'catastrophe in July 2025.' This manga drew attention both in Japan and abroad after it was said to have accurately predicted the Great East Japan Earthquake and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Due to rumors of a major earthquake occurring in July, anxiety among travelers planning to visit Japan is increasing. Photo by Getty Images

Anxiety among travelers planning to visit Japan is increasing due to rumors of a major earthquake occurring in July. This is particularly because the Japanese government warned in a disaster scenario report released around March that there is about an 80% probability of a massive magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years. According to the report, the Japanese government predicted that, in the event of such a massive earthquake, the maximum number of deaths could reach 298,000, and the number of displaced people could total 12.3 million. The report also projected that 2.35 million buildings could collapse and 900,000 people could be injured.

As nearly 300 earthquakes occurred over three days in Japan, fear and rumors related to a major earthquake are spreading. Japan Meteorological Agency

While the Japanese government has announced 134 disaster countermeasures?including improvements to earthquake-resistant design, automation of seawalls, and the establishment of wide-area evacuation plans?to be implemented by 2030, anxiety among travelers planning to visit Japan is continuing to intensify. Meanwhile, some experts are also analyzing that earthquakes in Japan could potentially have an impact on the Korean Peninsula.