Latest news with #Akuseki
CNA
07-07-2025
- 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.
Al Arabiya
07-07-2025
- Al Arabiya
Dozens leave Japan islands after 1,600 earthquakes
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. 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 June 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 June 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 percent 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. Causing particular concern was a manga comic reissued in 2021 which predicted a major disaster on July 5, 2025 -- which did not happen.
Arab News
07-07-2025
- Arab News
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 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 the almost non-stop jolts since June 21 have caused severe stress to area residents, many of whom have been deprived 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 municipality, which comprises seven inhabited and five uninhabited islands, is roughly 11 hours away on a ferry from June 21, the area has experienced as of early Monday what seismologists refer to as a swarm of 1,582 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 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 percent of the world's foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake was particular concern was a manga comic reissued in 2021 which predicted a major disaster on July 5, 2025 – which did not happen.
Free Malaysia Today
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Free Malaysia Today
Japan urges Akuseki residents to evacuate after strong quake
A large quake with a magnitude of 5.5 struck near Akuseki today. (Kyodo/Reuters pic) TOKYO : Japanese authorities urged today the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after a strong earthquake, the latest of more than 1,000 jolts in recent days to hit the area. Residents were urged to leave their homes and evacuate to 'a school playground in Akuseki Island', a municipal official told AFP. It is part of the Tokara island chain. The island chain, south of Kyushu region, has been rocked by more than 1,000 quakes in the past two weeks. No major damage has been reported. Today a large quake with a magnitude of 5.5 struck near Akuseki. Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total.
The Sun
03-07-2025
- The Sun
The remote earthquakes islands where no one has slept for weeks…as they've been hit by 900 terrifying tremors & counting
A REMOTE island chain has been rocked by more than 900 terrifying earthquakes in two weeks - forcing its residents to stay up all night. Tokara island chain in the south of Japan - a region prone to tremors - has been rattled by 1,031 quakes since June 21. 8 8 8 8 A 5.5 magnitude quake today struck near Akuseki - one of the 12 islands in the cluster - just a day after it recorded a jolt of the same size. Japanese authorities urged the 89 residents of a small southern island to evacuate after the tremors were felt. The quake hit at a depth of 12 miles, giving it a seismic intensity of "lower six" on Japan's 1-7 scale on Akuseki Island, the agency said. The intensity is classified as a level that makes it "difficult to remain standing", according to the agency. After all residents were confirmed safe, the evacuation instruction was later lifted. While no major damage has been reported, Tokara village said on its website that residents haven't been able to sleep and are tired. One resident told regional broadcaster MBC: "It feels like it's always shaking. "It's very scary to even fall asleep." Another resident added: "It's not clear when all this will end. I should think about whether to evacuate my kids." Seven of the 12 remote Tokara Islands are inhabited, with around 700 residents in total. A similar period of intense seismic activity in the Tokara area was seen in September 2023, when 346 earthquakes were recorded, according to the JMA. But their intensity and frequency were not as much as the slew of earthquakes that hit the region in the past two weeks. This series of tremors comes as the country as a whole has been kept on edge by rumours that a massive, deadly quake could soon hit. Ayataka Ebita from the Japan Meteorological Agency said: "In areas where the tremors were strong, there is an increased risk of collapsed houses and landslides. "Please be aware of earthquakes of similar magnitude for the foreseeable future." The government released a report saying much more needed to be done to prepare for such a megaquake. Some foreign tourists have held off coming to Japan due to unfounded fears fanned by social media that a major quake is imminent. Earthquake hotspot Japan is one of the most geologically active areas on Earth, marked by frequent earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis. The country's position at the intersection of four major tectonic plates — the Pacific Plate, the North American Plate, the Eurasian Plate, and the Philippine Sea Plate — makes it particularly prone to seismic activity. These plates are constantly shifting and colliding, creating subduction zones where one plate is forced beneath another. The frequent subduction of plates not only causes earthquakes but also triggers underwater fault movements that can displace large volumes of water, causing tsunamis. 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. In 2011, a magnitude-9.0 quake triggered a tsunami that left 18,500 people dead or missing and caused a devastating meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. Another major earthquake, the 1995 Kobe earthquake, resulted in widespread destruction and the loss of over 6,000 lives. 8 8 8 Nearly 600 people died after a massive earthquake hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan on New Year's Day in 2024. To mitigate the effects of these natural disasters, Japan has implemented advanced safety measures. Seismic-resistant buildings are designed to sway rather than collapse during earthquakes, while early warning systems detect seismic activity and provide residents with crucial seconds to prepare. Along the coast, tsunami defence systems, including sea walls and evacuation plans, aim to minimise casualties. Education programmes also play a key role in making sure that citizens are prepared for emergencies. 8
