Since June 21, the number of earthquakes in the waters near the Tokara Islands in Kagoshima Prefecture, Kyushu region of Japan, has been increasing rapidly. As of today (June 25), the Japan Meteorological Agency has recorded over 400 earthquakes with a seismic intensity of 1 or above in the past 5 days. The largest earthquake occurred on the evening of the 22nd at 7:15 p.m. local time, with a magnitude of 5.1 and a seismic intensity of 4.
The seismic intensity scale of the Japan Meteorological Agency ranges from 0 to 7, with 0 indicating almost imperceptible tremors and 7 indicating extreme destruction.
Fortunately, the number of earthquakes observed on the 25th has decreased.
Such frequent crustal movements have once again sparked discussions among people about the folk prediction known as the “Tokara Pattern” and the prophecy of a “major disaster on July 5” in Japan.
The local meteorological agency continues to remind the residents of the islands to be prepared for stronger earthquakes at any time.
The Central Weather Bureau of Taiwan has also stated that they will continue to monitor the information released by the Japan Meteorological Agency and urge the people of Taiwan to be aware of disaster prevention.
The Tokara Islands consist of 12 small islands. It is understood that the so-called “Tokara Pattern” refers to the frequent occurrence of small-magnitude earthquakes in the island group, which may indicate an impending large-scale earthquake in Japan. Some Japanese netizens have even claimed that prior to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, there were several consecutive earthquakes in the Tokara Islands.
In response to this, earthquake experts have stepped forward to dispel rumors. Nobuyoshi Nagao, a visiting professor at Tokai University in Japan, pointed out that seismic or volcanic activity in the Tokara Islands cannot trigger earthquakes or volcanic activity in distant regions.