Dozens leave Japan islands after nearly 1,600 quakes
There has been no major physical damage on hardest-hit Akuseki island, even after a 5.1-magnitude quake that struck overnight, said Genichiro Kubo, who is based on another island.
But the almost non-stop jolts since Jun 21 have caused severe stress to area residents, many of whom have been deprived of sleep.
Of the 89 residents of Akuseki, 44 have evacuated to the regional hub of Kagoshima by Sunday, while 15 others also left another island nearby, Kubo told a news conference.
The municipality, which comprises seven inhabited and five uninhabited islands, is roughly 11 hours away on a ferry from Kagoshima.
Since Jun 21, the area has experienced as of early Monday what seismologists refer to as a swarm of 1,582 quakes.
Experts have said they believe an underwater volcano and flows of magma might be the cause. They say they cannot predict how long the tremors will continue.
"We cannot foresee what might happen in the future. We cannot see when this will end," mayor Kubo told reporters.
A similar period of intense seismic activity in the area occurred in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.
Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire".
The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world's earthquakes.
Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake was imminent.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
a day ago
- CNA
Dozens leave Japan islands after nearly 1,600 quakes
TOKYO: Dozens of residents have evacuated remote islands in southern Japan that have been shaken by nearly 1,600 quakes in recent weeks, the local mayor said Monday (Jul 7). There has been no major physical damage on hardest-hit Akuseki island, even after a 5.1-magnitude quake that struck overnight, said Genichiro Kubo, who is based on another island. But the almost non-stop jolts since Jun 21 have caused severe stress to area residents, many of whom have been deprived of sleep. Of the 89 residents of Akuseki, 44 have evacuated to the regional hub of Kagoshima by Sunday, while 15 others also left another island nearby, Kubo told a news conference. The municipality, which comprises seven inhabited and five uninhabited islands, is roughly 11 hours away on a ferry from Kagoshima. Since Jun 21, the area has experienced as of early Monday what seismologists refer to as a swarm of 1,582 quakes. Experts have said they believe an underwater volcano and flows of magma might be the cause. They say they cannot predict how long the tremors will continue. "We cannot foresee what might happen in the future. We cannot see when this will end," mayor Kubo told reporters. A similar period of intense seismic activity in the area occurred in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. Japan is one of the world's most seismically active countries, sitting on top of four major tectonic plates along the western edge of the Pacific "Ring of Fire". The archipelago, home to around 125 million people, typically experiences around 1,500 jolts every year and accounts for about 18 per cent of the world's earthquakes. Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake was imminent.
CNA
3 days ago
- CNA
Pause With Purpose
46:45 Min Facing personal and professional crossroads in life, singer Joanna Dong and her husband, Zachary Ho, leave their comfort zones to survive a week in the wild. Pause With Purpose About the show: A work exchange at a farm in Nepal, enduring a jungle survival course in Sabah, renovating an abandoned home in rural Japan and volunteering at a soup kitchen in the Philippines. Gen X, Gen Z and Millennial Singaporeans face crossroads in their personal and professional lives as they embark on experiences abroad to search for inspiration and answers. Will the pause with purpose work for them?
CNA
3 days ago
- CNA
Japan braces for more quakes, authorities dismiss doomsday hype
TOKYO: Japan's government on Saturday (Jul 5) warned of more possible strong earthquakes in waters southwest of its main islands, but urged the public not to believe unfounded predictions of a major disaster. Authorities on Friday evacuated some residents from remote islands close to the epicentre of a 5.5-magnitude quake off the tip of the southernmost main island of Kyushu. That quake on Thursday, strong enough to make standing difficult, was one of more than 1,000 tremors in the islands of Kagoshima prefecture in the past two weeks that have fuelled rumours stemming from a comic book prediction that a major disaster would befall the country this month. "With our current scientific knowledge, it's difficult to predict the exact time, place or scale of an earthquake," said Ayataka Ebita, director of the Japan Meteorological Agency's earthquake and tsunami monitoring division, after a 5.4-magnitude quake shook the area again on Saturday. "We ask that people base their understanding on scientific evidence," Ebita told a press conference. The manga, which some have interpreted as predicting a catastrophic event on Saturday, has prompted some travellers to avoid Japan. Arrivals from Hong Kong, where the rumours have circulated widely, were down 11 per cent in May from the same month last year, according to the latest data. Japan has had record visitor numbers this year, with April setting an record monthly high of 3.9 million travellers. Ryo Tatsuki, the artist behind the manga "The Future I Saw", first published in 1999 and re-released in 2021, said she was "not a prophet", in a statement issued by her publisher. Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world's most seismically active areas. It accounts for about one-fifth of the world's earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater.
