Tokara Islands

[toh-kahr-uh]

noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. a group of Japanese islands in the W Pacific Ocean, in the N Ryukyu Islands.

Example Sentences

More than 1,300 earthquakes have hit Japan’s Tokara Islands in two weeks, prompting evacuations of dozens of residents from the remote archipelago on the country’s southern tip.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Because they sit astride two overlapping tectonic plates, the Tokara Islands have long been prone to seismic activity such as “earthquake swarms,” a burst of relatively minor earthquakes occurring in quick succession that can last up to several months.

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Seismic activity has been "very active" in the seas around the Tokara islands since 21 June, authorities said after a magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck on Wednesday.

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About 700 people live on seven of the 12 Tokara islands.

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Some guesthouses on the Tokara islands have stopped accepting tourists because of the earthquakes, Toshima Village said on its website, noting that they might be used as shelters for locals.

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