Southern Japan's isolated islands experienced over 470 consecutive earthquakes, urging caution among locals, though no significant damage was reported.

The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on Thursday that a series of over 470 consecutive earthquakes have struck the isolated islands in the south of the country since Saturday, urging residents to "exercise caution".

No significant damage has been reported following this sequence of tremors, which registered at least one degree on the Japanese scale of seven, and were felt slightly.

The strongest of these earthquakes reached a magnitude of 5.1, occurring on Sunday and Tuesday.

According to a statement from the Japan Meteorological Agency, 474 earthquakes were recorded around the Tokara Islands in southern Kyushu, the southernmost part of the Japanese archipelago.

The agency added: "Seismic activity has increased. Given that this region has historically experienced long periods of seismic activity, please be cautious of earthquakes that could cause strong tremors."

Among the twelve isolated Tokara Islands, seven are inhabited by about 700 people. Some of these islands contain active volcanoes and are accessible twice a week by ferry in clear weather.

Japan, with a population of 125 million, is positioned at the convergence of four major tectonic plates, within the Pacific's "Ring of Fire", making it one of the most seismically active countries in the world.

Approximately 1,500 earthquakes are recorded annually across the archipelago, accounting for about 18% of the world's earthquakes.

On January 1, 2024, a 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in central Japan, marking the strongest quake in over a decade. This led to the deaths of around 470 people, including many elderly individuals who passed away in the following days.