Quakes Rattle Japan’s Tokara Islands, Forcing Mass Evacuation and Leaving a Skeleton Crew Behind

AKUSEKIJIMA, Japan — July 12, 2025

More than three‑quarters of Akusekijima’s residents have fled to mainland Kyushu after a relentless swarm of more than 1,800 earthquakes rocked the tiny Tokara island chain over the past three weeks, local officials said. Only 20 civilians and a handful of essential workers remain, relying on the island’s lone school as both command post and overnight shelter.

Constant Tremors, Sleepless Nights

• Strongest jolt: A magnitude‑5‑class quake on July 3 sent furniture flying and triggered the mass evacuation.
• Ongoing swarm: The Japan Meteorological Agency has logged hundreds of smaller shocks every day, with at least 39 reaching Shindo 4 intensity or higher—enough to rattle windows and wake residents.
• No tsunami threat: Authorities say sea levels remain stable, but warn of unstable ground, potential building collapses and landslides.

One Principal on Watch

School headmaster Yoshiro Tobo, 52, is the highest‑ranking civilian still on Akusekijima. He sleeps next to an evacuation go‑bag, ready to reopen the playground at a moment’s notice.

“Even in half‑sleep I can feel a bigger one coming,” he told JournosNews.com by phone. “The shaking feels endless, but I stayed because the school has to be the island’s safe zone.”

Tobo’s family is 190 kilometres away in Kagoshima City.

A Shrunken Community

Those who chose to stay include firefighters, utility crews, one doctor, one nurse and a handful of farmers and contractors. The village office in Toshima says many are “exhausted and sleep‑deprived” after weeks of nonstop tremors.

Across the water on Kodakarajima, 44 residents and four contractors also remain on alert; 15 others evacuated earlier this week.

School Goes Remote

Classes resumed online Tuesday. Before the exodus, children walked to school wearing helmets; now half attend via tablet from mainland shelters while the rest file into nearly empty classrooms.

Earthquake Hot Spot

Japan experiences roughly one‑fifth of the world’s magnitude‑6‑plus quakes because it straddles the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where multiple tectonic plates collide. The Tokara Islands have weathered swarms before, notably in 2023 when 346 tremors struck in a single month.

Rumours and Real Risks

Officials have dismissed viral manga‑inspired predictions of a catastrophic quake on July 5, urging residents to trust only official bulletins. The Cabinet Office, however, cautions that additional strong tremors remain possible as the ground readjusts.

What Comes Next

Ferries continue to deliver food, water and medical supplies from Kagoshima. Engineers are inspecting older wooden homes for structural damage, and local leaders say a full return of evacuees will depend on seismic activity easing and critical services staying online.

For now, the islanders left behind keep vigil each night—waiting for the shaking to stop and for a calmer tide of daily life to roll back onto their remote volcanic shores.