The Japanese authorities have evacuated villagers from a distant island village following over 1,000 earthquakes that occurred in the area in under two weeks, raising safety fears and sparking waves of online speculation.
On Thursday, an earthquake of 5.5 magnitude struck off Akuseki Island in Kagoshima Prefecture, triggering evacuation orders. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, the epicenter of the quake was off-shore at a depth of 20km. No tsunami alert was given, and no damage or injuries were reported.
Toshima village, with 89 residents on seven inhabited islands, started evacuating early yesterday evening by ferry to Kagoshima on the southern Japanese coast. They were being housed in temporary accommodations organized by local authorities. The evacuation is expected to take a week, and officials had cautioned that residents of other adjacent islands would also be evacuated if the tremors continue.
Since June 21, Akuseki has had 1,031 earthquakes of intensity 1 or stronger on Japan’s seismic scale. The area, which is in the Tokara Islands south of Kyushu, is in the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of intense seismic activity with frequent earthquakes.
Compound to public fear, a viral online manga comic entitled The Future I Saw which was earlier said to have predicted the 2011 earthquake and tsunami has fueled online speculation of a disaster on July 5, 2025. While the artist of the manga, Ryo Tatsuki, has disclaimed being a seer, cancellations of travel to Japan have picked up, especially from Hong Kong.
Steve Huen, a travel executive in Hong Kong, said Japan-related bookings plunged 50% because of the fear generated by the manga. Earthquake insurance and special package deals have softened losses.
Officals’ assurances, including those from seismologists, could not allay the fears of all travelers like Branden Choi, who expressed that they will postpone trips after summer.