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Yomiuri Shimbun
20 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Some Residents Evacuate Quake-Hit Akusekijima Island to Take Refuge in Kagoshima City
A Toshima village-operated ferry carrying 13 residents of Akusekijima Island who wished to evacuate departed Friday morning for Kagoshima City, where they will take refuge. The ferry was expected to arrive in the city in the evening. They were scheduled to stay at a hotel and other facilities secured by the village for about a week, but this may be extended depending on the earthquake situation. Over 1,100 earthquakes have been recorded in the area of the Tokara Islands, which includes Akusekijima Island, since June 21. The first measuring lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale was observed at 4:13 p.m. on Thursday, and the village decided to evacuate those who wished to leave the island that night. According to the village government, as of the end of June, the population of the island is 89 people across 43 households. Thirteen people from 8 households, ranging in age from 0 to 80, have requested evacuation. Five people will stay at a hotel in the city secured by the village, and eight people will stay with relatives. The village-run ferry arrived at Akusekijima Island around 7:15 a.m. on Friday and departed for Kagoshima Port with the islanders on board at around 7:30 a.m. According to the village government, the evacuees' families were at the port to see them off. The evacuees included 6 of the 14 students at Akusekijima compulsory education school. 'I hope the students will return once the earthquake has calmed down,' the school's principal said. The school was closed on Friday to ensure the safety of the students. Genichiro Kubo, the mayor of Toshima Village, indicated that he would conduct another survey of the remaining islanders to gauge their willingness to evacuate. He said he would decide how to respond to the situation on Saturday. According to the Fukuoka Regional Headquarters of the Japan Meteorological Agency, an earthquake measuring 4 was observed on the island at 9:03 a.m. Friday. Since June 21, earthquakes have hit areas around the Tokara Islands, and there have been a total of 1,170 earthquakes measuring 1 or stronger on the Japanese seismic intensity scale as of 10 a.m. on Friday.
The Mainichi
3 days ago
- Science
- The Mainichi
Japan's Tokara Islands hit by record 740 quakes in 10 days: weather agency
TOKYO -- A record 740 earthquakes have been recorded off the coast of the Tokara island chain in southwest Japan's Kagoshima Prefecture in the last 10 days, the weather agency announced July 1. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency's Fukuoka Regional Headquarters, there were 740 tremors measuring 1 or higher on the 7-point Japanese seismic intensity scale. While there have been earthquakes in the past with hundreds of tremors occurring over a period of two to three weeks, this is the largest number of quakes off the remote islands. Seismic activity in the area intensified around 8 a.m. on June 21. By 11 a.m. on July 1, there had been one quake measuring lower 5 on the intensity scale, 11 measuring level 4, 44 with level 3, 185 registering scale 2 and 499 measuring 1. No tsunami have been observed, and there have been no reports of damage. The waters surrounding the Tokara Islands -- a group of 12 islets located between Yakushima and Amami Oshima islands -- have experienced clusters of earthquakes every few years, but the weather agency's Fukuoka Regional Headquarters notes that this is the most active period in recent years. The number of daily temblors peaked at 183 on June 23, then declined to 15 on June 26 and 16 on June 27, but rose again to 34 on June 28 and 98 on June 29. On June 30, 62 quakes were recorded. Earthquakes with a seismic intensity of lower 5 and 4 were observed on Akuseki Island, which is home to 43 households and 89 residents. According to Hisayoshi Yokose, associate professor of marine volcanology at Kumamoto University's graduate school, the area around the Tokara Islands features unique topography, including large underwater ridges that sink beneath a plate. This makes it easier for strain to build up, which is thought to lead to frequent earthquakes. The weather agency is calling for caution, warning that quakes measuring around lower 5 may hit the area.
