2 days ago
Japan islanders sleepless after 900 earthquakes in two weeks
This series of tremors come as the country as a whole has been kept on edge by rumours that a massive, deadly quake could soon hit.
A 1999 comic book by manga artist Ryo Tatsuki has been fuelling these rumours. In a new edition released in 2021, she claimed the next big earthquake would strike on 5 July this year.
These speculations have spooked some tourists, with several media reporting a flurry of trip cancellations.
The vast majority of earthquakes that hit Japan are mild, but there are some that cause great damage, like the one in 2011 that triggered a massive tsunami into the north-east coast, killing more than 18,000 people.
However, authorities have for decades feared the "big one" - a once-in-a-century megaquake that many had grown up being warned about. Worst-case scenarios predict it could leave more than 300,000 dead.
Earlier this week, the government called for new measures, such as constructing embankments and evacuation buildings, to strengthen public readiness in case of such a disaster - but it warned that much more needs to be done.
