Srinagar, July 5: Residents of Japan’s remote Tokara Islands are growing increasingly anxious after experiencing more than 1,000 earthquakes since June 21, including a magnitude 5.5 tremor recorded on Wednesday. The constant seismic activity has left many too afraid to sleep, as the tremors show no signs of stopping.
Speaking at an emergency press conference, Ayataka Ebita, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency’s earthquake and tsunami observation division, confirmed that seismic activity around the Tokara chain has been “very active” for over two weeks. By Wednesday afternoon, the agency had recorded over 900 quakes, a number that surpassed 1,000 by Thursday.
In 2011, a magnitude 9.0 quake hit Japan that set off a tsunami, killing nearly 20,000 people, a disaster many say was predicted in the first edition of the manga in 1999.
A similar scare is rampant this time around as well, with many predicting that the latest manga edition warns against a catastrophic event, likely to befall Japan on July 5, 2025.
Authorities have advised residents to prepare for possible sheltering or evacuation, warning that stronger earthquakes could strike. In response to the growing threat, 89 people on one of the islands have already been ordered to evacuate.
Located along the Pacific Ring of Fire—one of the most seismically active regions in the world—Japan regularly experiences around 1,500 earthquakes a year. While the Tokara Islands are no stranger to tremors, the intensity and frequency of the current swarm have left locals deeply unsettled.
Meanwhile, tourism has also seen a significant decline in Japan, a country that saw a record 3.9 million travellers in April this year. The most decline in tourism has been from Hong Kong, down 11 per cent year-on-year. Several flights headed to Japan from Hong Kong have also been cancelled, with rumours of a doomsday floating.
