Earthquake Swarm Rattles Japan’s Tokara Islands

Between June 25 and July 4, 2025, more than 1,000 earthquakes struck Japan’s remote Tokara Islands in Kagoshima, causing concern among residents and authorities. The strongest quake reached a level six on Japan’s seismic scale, strong enough to shake buildings, disrupt daily life, and scare locals. The island of Akusekijima, where the earthquake was the worst, saw at least 31 people evacuated due to the danger. Emergency services provided shelter and supplies, and some ferry services were temporarily suspended due to safety concerns.

These earthquakes are part of what scientists call a “swarm,” where numerous small quakes occur within a short period. Unlike a single large earthquake followed by aftershocks, a swarm has many similarly sized tremors. Japan sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area where several tectonic plates meet and frequently shift, making the country one of the most earthquake-prone in the world. Although Japan experiences frequent quakes, this particular swarm was one of the strongest recorded in the Tokara region in several decades. Experts from the Japan Meteorological Agency continue to monitor the area closely. They believe this event is not related to the more hazardous Nankai Trough fault, which could trigger a devastating earthquake and tsunami if it were to rupture in the future.

Despite rumors and fears spreading online, especially fueled by an old manga, scientists have reassured the public that there is no solid evidence of a major quake coming. The manga, titled Japan Sinks, was originally published in the 1970s and tells a fictional story of the Japanese islands collapsing into the sea due to massive earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. As the dates in the manga mention disasters occurring in July, some readers began to link the story with current seismic activity, causing unnecessary panic. Scientists emphasize that while fiction can spark fear, it should not be confused with real geological data. clear communication.