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Japan PM Fumio Kishida Cancels Central Asia Trip After Meteorological Agency Issues Megaquake Warning For Pacific Coast

The JMA’s warning specifically highlighted the Nankai Trough, a known seismic hotspot in the Pacific Ocean.

by Nikitha Sebastian
Japan PM Fumio Kishida Cancels Central Asia Trip After Meteorological Agency Issues Megaquake Warning For Pacific Coast

Japan’s Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, has cancelled his planned trip to Central Asia after experts issued a rare warning about the potential for a “megaquake.” This decision follows a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck the southwest of Japan on Thursday, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) to issue its first-ever warning of an increased risk of a massive earthquake along the Pacific coast.

Japan PM Cancels Trip After Megaquake Warning

Image Courtesy: Canva (Representative Image)

Kishida, who has been dealing with low approval ratings and faces a leadership challenge in the ruling party’s upcoming presidential election, made the announcement on Friday. His trip was to include a summit with the leaders of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan in the Kazakh capital, Astana, and a meeting with the Mongolian president in Ulaanbaatar. However, the rising risk of seismic activity forced him to prioritise domestic concerns.

The JMA’s warning specifically highlighted the Nankai Trough, a known seismic hotspot in the Pacific Ocean. The trough stretches 800 kilometres from Shizuoka, just west of Tokyo, to the southern tip of Kyushu. This undersea subduction zone has been the site of some of Japan’s most devastating earthquakes, including quakes of magnitude 8 or 9 that have historically struck every 100 to 200 years.

Also Read: Powerful Twin Earthquakes Hit Japan; Trigger Tsunami Advisories

70% To 80% Chance Of A Megaquake

These powerful earthquakes, known as “megathrust quakes,” often trigger large tsunamis that can cause widespread destruction along Japan’s southern coast. The last time all segments of the Nankai Trough ruptured simultaneously was in 1707, producing an earthquake that remains Japan’s second-most powerful on record, only surpassed by the 2011 earthquake off the northeast coast. That disaster led to a tsunami that killed over 18,000 people and caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

Despite the alarming nature of the JMA’s warning, it does not guarantee that a major earthquake will happen in the coming days. However, it does indicate that the likelihood is higher than usual. The agency’s advisory stated that if a major earthquake were to occur, it would generate strong shaking and large tsunamis, but it remains impossible to predict the exact timing of such an event.

Also Read: Tourists Eat So Much Rice In Japanese Dishes That It Has Lead To Drop In Rice Stocks In Japan; Demand Reaches 51,000 Tonnes

Government experts estimate a 70% to 80% chance of a megaquake measuring magnitude 8 or 9 occurring in the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years. If such an event were to happen, the consequences could be catastrophic, with projections suggesting a worst-case scenario of 300,000 deaths and a financial toll as high as $13 trillion.

Cover Image Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons, @Mr_Dark92/X (Formerly, Twitter)

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