Over 1,400 Earthquakes Recorded Near Tokara Islands in Two Weeks

It has been reported that approximately 1,400 earthquakes have occurred over the past two weeks near the Tokara Islands in Japan.

On July 6, NHK reported that a total of 1,432 earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 1 or higher had occurred off the coast of the Tokara Islands from June 21 until 11 a.m. on this day.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, earthquakes continued to occur near the Tokara Islands throughout the day, and at around 2:07 p.m. in particular, an earthquake estimated at magnitude 5.4 was recorded.

As a result of this earthquake, the highest seismic intensity of upper 5 was observed on Akusekijima, an island in the archipelago. Unlike magnitude, which indicates the absolute strength of an earthquake, the seismic intensity scale used by the Japan Meteorological Agency is a relative concept that quantifies how people feel and the extent to which objects shake during an earthquake. An intensity of upper 5 means that more than half of people feel fear, and items such as dishes or books may fall from shelves.

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Although more than 300 small earthquakes occurred in succession near the Tokara Islands in both December 2021 and September 2023, the current number of earthquakes far exceeds previous earthquake swarm records. The Meteorological Agency has warned that there is a risk of earthquakes with a maximum seismic intensity of lower 6 occurring in the area around the Tokara Islands for the time being, urging caution.

Previously, on July 3, an earthquake with a seismic intensity of lower 6 struck Akusekijima. An intensity of lower 6 is a level of shaking that makes it difficult to remain standing, and can cause wall tiles and window glass to break or bookshelves to topple.

As earthquakes continue, residents of nearby islands have also been evacuating. On the morning of July 6, 46 residents from two island villages, including Akusekijima, left the islands.

On July 4, 13 island residents evacuated to Kagoshima City. While earthquake swarms in the Tokara Islands do not typically cause large-scale damage, they have drawn increased attention due to speculation about a "July Great Earthquake" and the relatively high number of recent tremors.