KAGOSHIMA, Jul 03 (News On Japan) - More than 900 earthquakes have been recorded in the Tokara Islands in southern Kagoshima Prefecture since June 21st, with two magnitude 5-level tremors striking on July 2nd. The prolonged seismic activity has left residents increasingly anxious, with some expressing fear that there is "no end in sight."
On July 2nd, two quakes registering an intensity of lower 5 on the Japanese seismic scale shook Toshima Village. Soon after, a 10-meter-long crack appeared in the schoolyard on Kodakarajima Island. 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."
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.
Tourism is also taking a hit. Miyuki Arikawa, 73, who runs a guesthouse on Akusekijima, said, "A guest from Osaka told me they might switch their booking to Takarajima because of the earthquakes." She added that cancellations have been increasing and expressed hope that the tremors would subside soon.
Meanwhile, volcanic activity at Mount Shinmoedake, part of the Kirishima mountain range spanning Kagoshima and Miyazaki, has been intensifying. On the morning of July 2nd, a plume of volcanic smoke rose 2,800 meters into the air. Vehicles stirred up volcanic ash along the roads, and some businesses in nearby tourist areas temporarily suspended operations.
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.
As for whether the earthquakes and the eruptions are related, Ryusuke Imura, an associate professor at Kagoshima University, said: "The Tokara Islands are known for frequent earthquake swarms, but there's no evidence that quakes there have triggered eruptions or vice versa. The recent eruption at Shinmoedake did not coincide with an increase in Tokara seismicity, so there's no causal connection between the two."
The Meteorological Agency also warned that quakes as strong as intensity 5-lower have occurred in the past and may happen again, calling for continued vigilance.
Source: TBS
