An Island Gripped by Unrest
Since June 21, 2025, the small Japanese island of Akusekijima, nestled within the Tokara archipelago, has endured an unrelenting seismic swarm—over 1,800 earthquakes and counting. With tremors ranging from barely noticeable to strong enough to topple furniture, fear and fatigue have gripped the island’s 65 residents. Nearly 75% have evacuated to the mainland, leaving a skeleton community behind in constant anxiety. Among them is school principal Yoshiro Tobo, who has chosen to stay, becoming both caretaker and reluctant witness to nature’s persistent fury. Experts suggest magma flows and underwater volcanic activity may be the cause, but no end is in sight.
Seismic Swarm: 1,800 Quakes in Three Weeks
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) began recording an uptick in seismic activity near Akusekijima on June 21. What initially appeared to be a cluster of minor quakes evolved into a full-blown “earthquake swarm,” with 1,582 recorded by early Monday—and the number growing daily. The strongest quake, a magnitude 5.1 tremor on July 3, sent furniture flying and forced many residents to flee. Still, despite the frequency and occasional intensity of the tremors, no major structural damage has been reported so far.
Evacuation and Isolation
In the wake of the strongest quake, 49 residents—approximately three-quarters of Akusekijima’s population—boarded a ferry to the mainland. The island now sits largely empty, its normally close-knit community dispersed. However, a handful, including Principal Yoshiro Tobo, chose to remain. His school has been converted into an evacuation center, serving as both refuge and stronghold. Tobo, 52, describes a life filled with exhaustion and fear, where sleep is scarce and tremors are constant.
Life Amid the Tremors
For those who stayed behind, each day is an exercise in endurance. Tobo recounts how children, before the evacuation, walked to school wearing helmets and how residents jumped at every shake. “It feels endless,” he says. “You try to sleep, but you keep waking up because everything is shaking.” Anxiety has replaced routine. The constant uncertainty—not knowing whether the next quake will be minor or catastrophic—has taken a heavy toll on those left behind.
Expert Analysis: Volcanoes Below the Surface
While no conclusive explanation has been offered, experts strongly suspect underwater volcanic activity is the cause. Magma movements beneath the ocean floor could be triggering this swarm of small-to-moderate quakes. This region has seen similar activity before, most notably in September 2023 when 346 tremors were recorded. However, the current seismic burst is far more intense, raising questions about what lies beneath the surface and how long it may continue. Unfortunately, as Mayor Kubo bluntly stated: “We cannot foresee what might happen in the future. We cannot see when this will end.”
A Nation Used to Tremors, But Not Like This
Japan is no stranger to seismic activity. Located on the edge of four tectonic plates within the volatile Pacific “Ring of Fire,” the country experiences approximately 1,500 earthquakes annually—around 18% of the world’s total. However, the sheer duration and density of this event have made it exceptional. While it has not caused fatalities or major damage, it has frayed nerves and raised fears among both residents and visitors. Social media-fueled panic, including a resurgent 2021 manga predicting a major disaster on July 5, 2025, has added to the tension—though the predicted event never occurred.
Waiting in Uncertainty
Akusekijima’s residents—both those who fled and those who stayed—remain caught in limbo. The relentless shaking has yet to subside, and the absence of clear answers only deepens the unease. With no immediate threat of large-scale destruction but no guarantees of safety either, life on this island is now defined by vigilance and fatigue. As experts work to unravel the mystery beneath the sea, Akusekijima stands as a fragile symbol of resilience in a country always on the edge of the earth’s restless movements.
(With agency inputs)
