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Earthquakes frequently occurring near Japan's Tokara island chain

Sep 11 (NHK) - Earthquakes have frequently been occurring near the Tokara island chain in southwestern Japan since Friday. The Meteorological Agency is calling on residents to stay on the alert for possible strong tremors for some time.

The agency says quakes have been taking place in waters near the Tokara chain and northwest of Amami-Oshima island. These islands belong to Kagoshima Prefecture.

Three tremors registering an intensity of 1 or higher on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to 7 struck between midnight and 3 a.m. on Sunday.

They include a magnitude-3.7 quake that occurred at around 1:57 a.m. near the Tokara chain at a depth of 20 kilometers. It registered an intensity of 2 on the Japanese scale on Akusekijima island.

On Saturday, a quake with a maximum intensity of 4 and 14 jolts with a maximum intensity of 3 hit Kagoshima's Toshima Village, which includes Akusekijima.

Series of quakes have often occurred near the Tokara island chain in the past. A tremor that hit in May registered an intensity of lower 5 in Toshima Village.

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