Amid manga scare, Japanese island village jolted by 1,031 earthquakes evacuated overnight

A small Japanese island village has been evacuated following a series of earthquakes numbering over 1,000. Residents of the Toshima village on the Japanese island of Akuseki in Kagoshima prefecture were taken to a safer location after a 5.5 magnitude earthquake on Thursday. The Tokara Island chain has witnessed over 1,000 earthquakes since 21 June of varying intensities. The Japan Meteorological Agency said that the epicentre was off the coast at a depth of about 20km. The tremors did not trigger a tsunami warning and all the residents were safe. One of the islands from where the ship departed is home to about 89 residents, all of whom were taken away to a port in Kagoshima on a ship. Also Read: Premonitions and prophetic dreams: Japanese manga, The Future I Saw, went out of print. Why was it revived?

There are a total of seven islands that form the Toshima village, and a total of 668 people live there, as per The Japan Times. NKH World reported that the first group left from Naze Port on Amami Oshima Island at 2 am local time on Friday. The ferry was scheduled to traverse through all seven islands, picking up everyone. It is expected to reach the Kagoshima port after 6 pm local time on Friday. They will stay in temporary accommodations arranged by the village for about a week. The stay could be extended depending on the seismic activity, the Japan Times reported. Also Read: Ryo Tatsuki and the 15-year cycle: Stressing over July 5? Her pattern of predictions will calm you down
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Japanese islands tremble from earthquakes

Earthquakes have been reported from several islands in the region over the past few days, triggering a scare that a big one might strike soon. Residents from other islands might also be evacuated and taken to the same village until activity subsides. Earthquakes of intensity one and more have rattled Akuseki, a part of the Tokara Island chain, and other islands, since 21 June. A total of 1,031 quakes have been recorded till now. Ongoing rumours that a major disaster is due to strike Japan on July 5 have added to concerns.

Japanese manga July 5 prophecy of earthquake and tsunami

Ryo Tatsuki, a manga writer, wrote in 1999 about a major earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the Phillippines in July. As the prophecy went viral, people started cancelling their tickets to Japan, jolting tourism in the country. Her manga titled "Watashi ga mita mirai" (The Future I Saw), predicted a catastrophe for Japan. She reportedly also predicted the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that slammed Tōhoku. This has triggered panic since her prophecy came true. However, Tatsuki has tried to quell fears by saying that "everyone should be free to make their own interpretation." She added that she is “not a prophet” and that people should see it as a "positive thing" and take appropriate safety measures.