1031 Earthquakes Recorded In Tokara Islands, Japan
By: Hunter Han
Since Saturday, June 21, 2025, 1031 earthquakes have been recorded in the Tokara islands in Japan, due to the fact that Japan lies on a seismically active area. No damage has been reported.
These 1031 earthquakes were recorded in only two weeks. Although there has been no reported damage, the tremors and quakes still hold a risk.
Japan is an archipelago, meaning that it’s a group of islands, and experiences around 18% of all earthquakes in the world, making it a seismic hotspot. This makes it one of the most seismically active nations in the world, laying on top of 4 tectonic plates along the west border of the Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt. The Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt, commonly nicknamed the “Ring of Fire” due to its volcanic activity, is a group of major seismically active regions around the Pacific plate and Pacific Ocean.
The Circum-Pacific Seismic Belt stretches over 25000 miles, or 40233.6 kilometers, starting from the southern tip of South America, crossing over to Asia via Alaska, and then continuing all the way down to New Zealand. Around 90% of all earthquakes occur in this region, and contains roughly 75% of the world’s volcanoes, namely 452 active volcanoes.
The local authorities advised the residents to move to safety if the frequency of the quakes continues, although there was no reported damage. Many earthquakes come in series, and this means that more powerful earthquakes could follow, and these earthquakes could be a sign that a bigger quake is coming. Many devastating earthquakes are preceded by foreshocks and followed by aftershocks.
The Tokara islands are a remote chain of 12 islands in southwest Japan. Seven of the islands, which are Kuchinoshima, Nakanoshima, Suwanosejima, Tairajima, Akusekijima, Kodakarajima, and Takarajima, are inhabited. The other five of the islands, which are Gajajima, Kogajajima, Kojima, Kaminonejima, and Yokoatejima, are uninhabited.
Of the seven inhabited islands, there are around 700 residents, and since Saturday, June 21, 1031 quakes have been recorded, according to BBC News. There has been no major damage, but islanders are considering moving to safety elsewhere if the frequency continues.
According to “Over 900 Earthquakes Recorded in Tokara Islands” by News on Japan, “The Japan Meteorological Agency has raised the alert level for Mount Shinmoedake to Level 3, restricting entry to the mountain. The agency is urging caution against large volcanic rocks and pyroclastic flows within a 2 to 3 kilometer radius of the crater,” thus showing the impact of the earthquakes.
“Since late June, more than 900 earthquakes of intensity 1 or higher have been observed in the region, including 19 at intensity 4 and three at intensity 5-lower, centered around Akusekijima and Kodakarajima.”
Residents were beginning to consider moving, claiming that their children would be deprived of sleep. “One resident said, ‘The shaking goes on and on, day and night—I’m scared to sleep.’ Another added, ‘Everyone’s sleep-deprived. We might have to consider evacuating the children,'” News on Japan said.
Although no damage was reported to be caused by the 1031 earthquakes, there is still a threat to the 700 residents of the 7 inhabited islands if the quakes continue at this frequency. Japan’s frequency of seismic activity, due to being on top of 4 tectonic plates, is shown here when over 1000 quakes were recorded in less than two weeks, according to the BBC News.
Resources:
“1,000 earthquakes recorded in two weeks on Japanese islands,” BBC News, 4 July 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/articles/c77vd36gnngo
“Over 900 Earthquakes Recorded in Tokara Islands,” News on Japan, https://newsonjapan.com/article/146278.php
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