Earthquakes happening in Japan

Alexander Li

Since June 21, 2025, unusual earthquakes have been recorded by seismic experts around Tokara Islands, Japan. Those earthquakes are happening in Japan because the country sits on the Ring of Fire.

Earthquakes are caused by tectonic plates sliding or colliding with one another. They can cause other natural disasters such as landslides and tsunamis. Because Japan sits on the Ring of Fire, earthquakes happen often there. The Ring of Fire is a string of volcanoes, earthquake sites and tectonic plates around the Pacific, according to a BBC article.

Usually, Japan experiences around 1500 earthquakes a year making up 18% of the world’s earthquakes. But since June 21, more than 1030 tremors have already been recorded near the Tokara Islands where 700 residents live. These earthquakes are relatively small, usually a magnitude of 3-4 on the Richter Scale. Residents are preparing to evacuate if seismic activity continues.

Japan cannot predict the date, time, and location of earthquakes with current scientific knowledge according to a TIME magazine .”We cannot foresee what might happen in the future. We cannot see when this will end,” mayor Kubo told reporters. This is important because if Japan does not know if earthquakes are coming or not, and if residents don’t evacuate, lots of people could get killed if a big earthquake occurs.

The residents of the Tokara Islands are scared and worried as they do not know if a sudden earthquake will occur in their town.“It feels like it’s always shaking,” one resident told the regional broadcaster MBC. “It’s very scary to even fall asleep.”

Sources

https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c77vd36gnngo

https://earthquakelist.org/japan/

https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2025/07/07/dozens-leave-japan-islands-after-nearly-1600-quakes

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jul/03/japan-earthquake-tokara-islands-900-earthquakes-two-weeks

https://time.com/7300133/japan-manga-earthquake-panic/