The Tokara Islands are spread out in the Pacific Ocean at the southernmost tip of Japan. There are twelve islands, only seven of which are inhabited. The population is only about 700. The islands are so remote that most of them do not have any hospitals. Even the nearest medical center is in the city of Kagoshima, a six-hour boat ride away.
This peaceful archipelago is no longer peaceful. In the past two weeks, this unpopulated natural paradise has been shaken by one earthquake after another. Starting from June 21; in these few days, more than 900 small and large tremors have been detected in the sea off the coast of Tokara. A 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck on Wednesday, as if to stab another knife into the ongoing anxiety.
Chizuko Arikawa, a 54-year-old from Akusekijima Island, cannot sleep at night. She watches the waves from her window, but in between the waves, she hears a strange roar; as if someone is coming up from the bottom of the sea. “At night, before an earthquake, you hear a strange sound, like a deep roar. It’s very scary,” said Chizuko. “There was a time when the solitude of this island was pleasant. Now it’s become terrifying.”
Life for the islanders is already difficult. Many people work in agriculture or animal husbandry. Chizuko and her husband raise cattle. But when the ground itself shakes, even that work can’t be done as before.
Isamu Sakamoto, one of the local leaders, said that first there is a jolt from under the ground, then the whole house shakes. It feels like everything is turning inside out. He now feels a tremor in his body all the time, even when there’s no earthquake. This ‘phantom shock’ is now a companion for many residents.
Tokara Island has been hit by earthquakes before, but not as consistently or frequently as this one. Local media reported that there has been no recent record of such a strong earthquake. The Kagoshima Meteorological Agency said there was no threat of a tsunami yet, but residents were told to prepare to evacuate at any time.
The local administration is also worried about the possibility of an earthquake. They say that residential hotels have canceled bookings for tourists for the time being. These hotels are being considered for use as emergency shelters. However, a strange rumor has added to the tourists’ fear of this earthquake.
This rumor was born from an old manga comic. Artist Ryo Tatsuki predicted in his 1999 book that a ‘Big One’ would hit Japan on July 5, 2025; a massive earthquake that would destroy much of the country. Since the new edition of the book was published in 2021, rumors have spread. Many are terrified about this date, various myths have spread on social media, and many have even canceled travel plans.
However, Japan knows very well that earthquakes are not just rumors. The 2011 magnitude 9 earthquake and its subsequent tsunami killed 18,000 people. Those painful memories are still fresh. The government has long been afraid that ‘The Big One’ will come; maybe not today, but tomorrow. And that day more than three hundred thousand people could die in Japan.
For this reason, the government has recently announced initiatives to build emergency infrastructure, sea walls, high-altitude shelters, etc. However, they also admit that there is still much to do.
Meanwhile, Tokara is shaking like clockwork. No one knows how big the next earthquake will be, when it will come, or where it will come from. All they know is that once night falls, you won’t be able to sleep. No one wants to be quiet on this small island anymore.
Source: BBC