A total of 46 evacuees left Akuseki and Kodakara islands aboard a ferry Sunday morning from the village of Toshima, in Kagoshima Prefecture, after a series of strong earthquakes rocked the Tokara island chain.
The ferry, operated by the village, arrived at Kagoshima Port in the prefectural capital of Kagoshima later that evening.
This is the second time that residents of Akuseki Island have evacuated, but the first time for those from Kodakara Island.
The series of earthquakes with their epicenters in the seas around the Tokara chain began on June 21. Since then, the islands have been hit by more than 1,500 quakes strong enough to be felt as of Monday morning.
A jolt measuring lower 6, the third highest on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, was observed on Akuseki Island on Thursday.
This helped prompt 13 residents of the island to evacuate via a ferry to the city of Kagoshima on Friday. Akuseki Island experienced earthquakes measuring an upper 5 twice on Sunday afternoon and one measuring a lower 5 in the early hours of Monday.
Kodakara, located close to Akuseki, has also been hit by many earthquakes, including one that measured lower 5 on Wednesday.
"The seismic activity remains dynamic," Meteorological Agency official Ayataka Ebita told a news conference Sunday.
"Quakes measuring an upper 5 were observed because the epicenters are close to Akuseki Island and were shallow," Ebita said, calling on people to remain alert for possible quakes measuring a lower 6.
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