Tokyo
CNN
–
The school’s principal Yoshiro Tobo is one of the few people left on his remote Japanese island, and the earth is constantly shaking from earthquakes.
The 52-year-old said he was exhausted and surprised by his sleep as “endless” earthquakes roar around Akusekijima in the Tokara Islands, which has endured more than 1,800 earthquakes in the past three weeks.
His colleagues were among the 49 evacuees who evacuated to the mainland on Sunday by ferry after the strongest earthquake on July 3rd, making it difficult for them to stand up by knocking furniture.
However, Tobo told CNN how he fell behind as the only gatekeeper of the island’s school.
“It was shaking over and over for days. I feel very anxious and scared, and it’s difficult to sleep,” he said.
“In their worst case, earthquakes look endless. You can feel when something big is coming. Even in your sleep, you can feel that you’re approaching from afar.”
During an emergency evacuation on Sunday, Tobo opened the school playground to the remaining 19 islanders and five contractors, providing open space away from the building that can collapse due to trembling. So far, the school remains unharmed.
“I evacuated around midnight and went to bed around 1:30am, but I couldn’t sleep well. Some of the earthquakes were very strong,” he added.
But he said responsibility comes with work.
“As a school administrator, I chose to stay on the island and support the efforts by coordinating with government officials and local residents,” said Tobo, whose family lives in Kagoshima city on the Kyushu mainland.
“I’m home at night, and I always feel ready to evacuate (to school) even in the middle of the night.”
Arikasasha, an employee of the Toshima Village office that manages the area, said the community was “deprived of sleep” and “weary” due to “continuous earthquakes that continue day and night.”
Like Tobo, those still on the island include firefighters, farmers, utility workers, one doctor and one nurse.
Tobo students resumed lessons via online classes on Tuesday. It followed a time when children were walking to school in helmets as a precaution, and the school was closed for two days.
“Until then, some of the kids were still on the island,” the principal said. “They looked uneasy and scared of the ongoing earthquake. I did my best to encourage and reassure them.
“We pray that those remaining on the island remain safe and that their homes are spared from damage.”
In nearby Koda Karajima, it is one of Tokara’s seven residential islands, like Akisekijima, but local authorities have confirmed that 15 residents have evacuated and 44 remain with four contractors.
Matsumoto, the principal of the island’s school, also stayed behind, saying all supermarkets and stores were originally closed and that daily necessities are still being delivered by ferry from Kagoshima.
However, after sleepless nights, he expressed optimism, saying, “The interval between the earthquakes has increased.”
“The earthquake seems to be slowly subsidering and I hope this continues,” he told CNN.
Matsuno confirmed that all students were “healthy” and that half attended classes online after evacuation, while the other half continued in person.
Approximately 700 residents of the 12 island archipelago appear to be familiar with such procedures. One school’s website shows that children were evacuated under their desks during a drill at Akusekijima last month.
In addition to the strongest earthquake on July 3rd, the region is classified as strong enough to wake up a sleeping person, according to the unique seven-storey Sindh Strength Scale in Japan.
Level 4 had at least 39, and I felt that most people were walking. Level 5 may cause 4 windows to be crushed. There are 3 upper 5, making it difficult to move without support.
The area has previously experienced long periods of tremors, but in 2023, one important event led to 346 recorded earthquakes.
Officials said there is currently no risk of a tsunami, but local media warned that the ground remains unstable. Residents have been warned about the possibility of collapse of buildings and landslides.
On Saturday, the Japanese government warned about the possibility of a stronger earthquake in the region, but urged its people not to believe the baseless comic book predictions for the major disasters that hit the country on July 5th.
This comes from rumors inspired by the manga “The Future,” which warns of a major disaster in March 2011.
The “complete version” released in 2021 claims that the next major earthquake will be a hit this July.
Earthquakes are common in Japan and account for about a fifth of the world’s tremors of magnitude 6 or higher.
The country is on the so-called Ring of Fire, home to 75% of the world’s active volcanoes, where around 90% of all earthquakes occur. Extending almost 25,000 miles, a horseshoe-shaped ring of fire encircles most of the Pacific Ocean.
This is where many structural plates meet and oppose each other, causing friction that releases energy and creates shaking that is released during the earthquake.
Hanako Montgomery contributed to this report.
