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2025 Tokara Islands earthquakes

Coordinates: 29°13′37″N 129°18′58″E / 29.227°N 129.316°E / 29.227; 129.316
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2025 Tokara Islands earthquakes
Map of JMA seismic intensities for the 3 July event
2025 Tokara Islands earthquakes is located in Ryukyu Islands
2025 Tokara Islands earthquakes
UTC time2025-07-02 06:26:49
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local date21 June 2025 (2025-06-21) – ongoing
Local time15:26 JST (UTC+9)
MagnitudeMw 5.6 (strongest tremor)
Depth10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
1 km (1 mi) (JMA)
EpicenterTatsugō, Kagoshima
29°13′37″N 129°18′58″E / 29.227°N 129.316°E / 29.227; 129.316 (strongest tremor)
TypeStrike-slip (strongest tremor)
Areas affectedTokara Islands
Max. intensityJMA 5− (MMI VI)[1]
CasualtiesNone

From June 21, an intensive earthquake swarm started occurring near the lightly populated Tokara Islands, located on the Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.[2][3][4] The most intense shaking registered a 6- on the JMA Shindo scale on July 4, and the most powerful earthquake was a Mw 5.6 on July 3.[5] This earthquake swarm is the most intense such since 1995.[2] 31 residents requested evacuation to Mainland Japan following several earthquakes of 5+ on the JMA scale, i.e. approximately VII on the Mercalli scale[6][7] A strange roaring from the sea before the earthquakes has also been reported, and the quakes and been strong and constant enough to substantially interrupt sleep.[8]

List of earthquakes

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List of earthquakes with a seismic intensity of Shindo 5− and higher
Time (JST) Epicenter Magnitude
(USGS) 		Intensity
(Shindo) 		Depth Notes
30 June 18:33 29°19′16″N 129°23′31″E / 29.321°N 129.392°E / 29.321; 129.392 Mw 5.2 JMA 5− 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
30 km (19 mi) (JMA) 		[9][10]
2 July 4:32 29°19′52″N 129°24′22″E / 29.331°N 129.406°E / 29.331; 129.406 Mw 5.1 JMA 5− 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
30 km (19 mi) (JMA) 		[11][12]
2 July 15:26 29°14′38″N 129°14′38″E / 29.244°N 129.244°E / 29.244; 129.244 Mw 5.6 JMA 5− 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
10 km (6 mi) (JMA) 		[13][14]
3 July 16:13 29°24′58″N 129°23′42″E / 29.416°N 129.395°E / 29.416; 129.395 Mw 5.5 JMA 6− 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
20 km (12 mi) (JMA) 		[15][16]
5 July 6:29 29°20′53″N 129°16′08″E / 29.348°N 129.269°E / 29.348; 129.269 Mw 5.4 JMA 5+ 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
20 km (12 mi) (JMA) 		[17][18]
6 July 14:01 29°21′11″N 129°28′52″E / 29.353°N 129.481°E / 29.353; 129.481 Mw 4.9 JMA 5+ 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
20 km (12 mi) (JMA) 		[19][20]
6 July 14:07 29°22′34″N 129°33′07″E / 29.376°N 129.552°E / 29.376; 129.552 Mw 5.5 JMA 5+ 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
20 km (12 mi) (JMA) 		[21][22]
7 July 00:12 29°17′10″N 129°41′31″E / 29.286°N 129.692°E / 29.286; 129.692 mb 4.9 JMA 5− 10 km (6 mi) (USGS)
20 km (12 mi) (JMA) 		[23][24]

Response

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The earthquake swarm has prompted evacuations from the islands of Akusekijima and Kodakarajima.[25]

Manga connection

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This earthquake swarm became connected in the popular imagination to the manga The Future I Saw. The Japan Meteorological Agency denied the predictive validity of pseudo-science: "1-Minute Explainer: Can you trust social media claims about the 'Tokara Rule'[26] or predictions of a major disaster on the 5th? (Mainichi Shimbun)".[27]

References

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  1. ^ "令和７年７月３日16時13分頃のトカラ列島近海の地震について". 気象庁. 3 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b Speed, Jessica (4 July 2025). "Residents of Tokara Islands begin evacuation as seismic swarm continues". The Japan Times.
  3. ^ "最大震度別地震回数表" (PDF). 気象庁. 26 July 2025. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  4. ^ "主な地震活動の地震回数比較（マグニチュード2.5以上）" (PDF). 気象庁. 18 July 2025. Retrieved 18 July 2025.
  5. ^ "Over 1,000 Earthquakes in Less than Two Weeks Shake Japan's Southern Tokara Islands". nippon.com. 4 July 2025.
  6. ^ "トカラ列島・悪石島、新たな避難希望31人 震度5強「インパクト」：朝日新聞". 朝日新聞 (in Japanese). 5 July 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. ^ "トカラ列島で震度6弱 頻発する揺れ…いつまで続く？ 南海トラフ巨大地震とは"関連なし"も…「2030～40年に発生する可能性が高い」 京大名誉教授が"地震への備え"改めて呼びかけ【識者解説】（ABCニュース）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  8. ^ "Japan: Tokara islanders sleepless after 900 quakes in two weeks". www.bbc.com. 3 July 2025.
  9. ^ "M 5.2 - 98 km NNW of Tatsugō, Japan". 30 June 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  10. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. 30 June 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  11. ^ "M 5.1 - 99 km N of Tatsugō, Japan". 1 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  12. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. 2 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  13. ^ "M 5.6 - 94 km NNW of Tatsugō, Japan". 2 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  14. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. 2 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  15. ^ "M 5.5 - 108 km N of Tatsugō, Japan". 3 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  16. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. 3 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  17. ^ "M 5.4 - 104 km NNW of Tatsugō, Japan". 6 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  18. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  19. ^ "M 4.9 - 100 km N of Tatsugō, Japan". 6 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  20. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. 6 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  21. ^ "M 5.5 - 102 km N of Tatsugō, Japan". 6 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  22. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. 6 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  23. ^ "M 4.9 - 93 km N of Tatsugō, Japan". 6 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  24. ^ "Earthquake information". Japan Meteorological Agency. 7 July 2025. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
  25. ^ "More residents evacuate quake-hit remote islands in Japan". The Japan Times. 7 July 2025. Retrieved 7 July 2025.
  26. ^ "While rumors are already spreading that a major earthquake will occur in Japan in July this year, a .. - MK". 매일경제. 29 June 2025.
  27. ^ "＜1分で解説＞「トカラの法則」「5日に大災害」SNS信じていい?（毎日新聞）". Yahoo!ニュース (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 July 2025.
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