The earthquake had a magnitude of 5.5. Residents of Akuseki are urged to go to a playground at the island's school, says a local official.
Akuseki is part of the Tokara island group, between the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea. Seven of Tokara's twelve islands are uninhabited, and about 700 people live on the others.
Over the past two weeks, the island group has been shaken by more than 1,000 smaller tremors. No major damage has been reported.
