Tokyo:

Japan braced Wednesday for its strongest typhoon of the year, with authorities advising tens of thousands of people to evacuate and issuing the highest warning level for wind and storm surges on the main southern island of Kyushu.

“Typhoon Shanshan is expected to approach southern Kyushu with extremely strong force through Thursday and it may make landfall,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters.

“It is expected that violent winds, high waves, and storm surge at levels that many people have never experienced before may occur,” said Hayashi, the top government spokesman.

The approach of the storm, packing gusts of up to 252 kilometres (157 miles) per hour and already bringing widespread heavy rain, prompted auto giant Toyota to suspend production at all 14 of its factories.

Two people remained unaccounted for on Wednesday after a landslide buried a house with five family members inside in Gamagori, a city in central Aichi prefecture.

Rescuers worked around the clock and on Wednesday afternoon they pulled out a woman in her 70s.

“She wasn’t breathing and was unconscious,” a Gamagori official told AFP. They were still searching for a man in his 70s and another in his 30s.

For southern Kyushu, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) predicted 1,100 millimetres (43 inches) of precipitation in the 48 hours to Friday morning, around half the annual average for the area comprising Kagoshima and Miyazaki regions.

The JMA also issued its highest “special warning” for violent storms, waves and high tides in parts of the Kagoshima region of Kyushu, with authorities there advising 56,000 people to evacuate.

Video on public broadcaster NHK TV showed roof tiles being blown off houses, broken windows and felled trees.

“Our carport roof was blown away in its entirety. I wasn’t at home when it happened, but my kids say they felt the shaking so strong they thought an earthquake happened,” a local resident in Miyazaki told NHK.

“I was surprised. It was completely beyond our imagination,” she said.

The warnings indicate the “possibility that a major disaster prompted by (the typhoon) is extremely high,” Satoshi Sugimoto, chief forecaster of JMA, told a news conference.

Japan Airlines cancelled 172 domestic flights and six international flights scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, while ANA nixed 219 domestic flights and four international ones on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

The cancellations affected around 25,000 people.

Kyushu Railway said it would suspend some Shinkansen bullet train services between Kumamoto and Kagoshima Chuo from Wednesday night and warned of further possible disruption.

Trains between Tokyo and Fukuoka, the most populous city in Kyushu, may also be cancelled depending on weather conditions this week, other operators said.

Shanshan comes in the wake of Typhoon Ampil, which disrupted hundreds of flights and trains this month.

Despite dumping heavy rain, it caused only minor injuries and damage.

Ampil came days after Tropical Storm Maria brought record rains to northern areas.

Typhoons in the region have been forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change, according to a study released last month.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Tokyo:

Japan was set on Thursday to lift a week-old warning that a “megaquake” potentially causing colossal damage and loss of life could strike, the government said.

The alert that such a catastrophe might hit the archipelago of 125 million people prompted thousands of Japanese to cancel holidays and stock up on essentials, emptying shelves in some stores.

Japan’s disaster management minister Yoshifumi Matsumura said the “special call for attention” would be lifted at 5:00 pm (0800 GMT) assuming there was no major seismic activity.

Matsumura cautioned, however, that the “possibility of a major earthquake has not been eliminated”, urging people to regularly check their preparedness “for the major earthquake that is expected”.

Higher than normal 

Last Thursday, Japan’s weather agency said the likelihood of a megaquake was “higher than normal” after a magnitude 7.1 jolt earlier in the day that injured 15 people.

That was a particular kind of tremor known as a subduction megathrust quake, which in the past has occurred in pairs and can unleash massive tsunamis.

The advisory concerned the Nankai Trough between two tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean.

The 800-kilometre (500-mile) undersea gully runs parallel to Japan’s Pacific coast, including off the Tokyo region, the world’s biggest urban area and home to around 40 million people.

In 1707, all segments of the Nankai Trough ruptured at once, unleashing an earthquake that remains the nation’s second-most powerful on record.

That quake — which also triggered the last eruption of Mount Fuji — was followed by two powerful Nankai megathrusts in 1854, and one each in 1944 and 1946.

Slower trains 

Japan’s government has previously said the next magnitude 8-9 megaquake along the Nankai Trough has a roughly 70 per cent probability of striking within the next 30 years.

In the worst-case scenario, 300,000 lives could be lost, experts estimate, with some engineers saying the damage could reach $13 trillion, with infrastructure wiped out.

Experts, however, said the risk was still low, and the agriculture and fisheries ministry urged people on Saturday “to refrain from excessively hoarding goods”.

The statement came after supermarkets put limits on purchases including bottled water, and as demand for emergency items such as portable toilets and preserved food soared online.

The megaquake warning even prompted Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to cancel a four-day trip to Central Asia due to take place last weekend.

Some bullet trains reduced their speed as a precaution and nuclear plants were instructed by authorities to double-check their disaster preparations.

‘Convincingly scary’ 

Sitting on top of four major tectonic plates, Japan sees some 1,500 quakes every year, most of them minor.

Even with larger tremors, the impact is generally contained thanks to advanced building techniques and well-practised emergency procedures.

The Japan Meteorological Association (JMA) warning was the first under new rules drawn up after a 2011 quake, tsunami and nuclear disaster that left around 18,500 people dead or missing.

The 2011 tsunami sent three reactors into meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant, causing Japan’s worst post-war catastrophe and the world’s most serious nuclear accident since Chernobyl.

“The history of great earthquakes at Nankai is convincingly scary,” geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith A. Hubbard wrote in their Earthquake Insights newsletter last week.

But there was only a “small probability” that last week’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake was a foreshock, according to Bradley and Hubbard.

“One of the challenges is that even when the risk of a second earthquake is elevated, it is still always low,” they said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Tokyo:

Authorities in Japan urged people to avoid hoarding as anxiety over a possible megaquake triggered a spike Saturday in demand for disaster kits and daily necessities.

In its first such advisory, the weather agency said a huge earthquake was more likely in the aftermath of a magnitude 7.1 jolt in the south on Thursday which left 14 people injured.

At a Tokyo supermarket on Saturday, a sign was put up apologising to customers for shortages of certain products it attributed to “quake-related media reports”.

“Potential sales restrictions are on the way”, the sign said, adding bottled water was already being rationed due to “unstable” procurement.

On Saturday morning the website of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten showed portable toilets, preserved food and bottled water topping the list of the most sought-after items.

In Tokyo, some residents were ramping up their disaster preparedness.

Bar employee Kokoro Takeuchi said she had ordered bottled water online following Thursday’s tremor.

“I’m very worried,” the 27-year-old told AFP.

“The bar I work at is underground so if a quake happens all of a sudden, there’s a good chance we might not be able to escape. So I’ve been trying to figure out how best to evacuate,” she said.

But others were more resigned to the inevitability of the megaquake.

“I am worried of course, but overthinking about it will get you nowhere”, company worker Mika Nakagawa, 34, told AFP.

“If it happens, then that’s that,” she said.

Some retailers along the Pacific coastline also reported similar disaster-related supplies in high demand, according to local media reports.

The advisory concerns the Nankai Trough “subduction zone” between two tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean, where massive earthquakes have hit in the past.

– Low risk –

It has been the site of destructive quakes of magnitude eight or nine every century or two, with the central government previously estimating the next big one would strike over the next 30 years roughly with a 70 percent probability.

Experts however emphasise the risk, while elevated, is still low, and the agriculture and fisheries ministry urged people “to refrain from excessively hoarding goods”.

A magnitude-5.3 tremor rocked the Kanagawa region near Tokyo Friday, triggering emergency alarms on mobile phones and briefly suspending bullet train operations.

Most seismologists believe the Friday jolt had no direct link to the Nankai Trough megaquake, citing distance.

On social media platform X, spam posts taking advantage of fears over the megaquake are rapidly mushrooming.

Public broadcaster NHK said spam disguised as helpful quake-related tips was being posted every few seconds on X, with links that instead direct users toward porn or e-commerce sites.

Such posts are “making it increasingly difficult for users to reach genuine information about quakes”, NHK said.

Sitting on top of four major tectonic plates, the Japanese archipelago of 125 million people sees some 1,500 quakes every year, most of them minor.

On January 1, a 7.6-sized jolt and powerful aftershocks hit the Noto Peninsula on the Sea of Japan coast, killing at least 318 people, toppling buildings and knocking out roads.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Tokyo:

The Indian Embassy in Japan issued a mega-quake advisory for Indian citizens residing in Japan on Friday, urging them to prepare for natural disasters after a strong magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred on Thursday.

Experts have said a ‘megaquake’ may strike Japan in the coming days. An earthquake of over 8-magnitude is called a megaquake.

Further, the embassy asks citizens to follow guidelines set by Japanese authorities and monitor the embassy’s website and social media handles for updates.

“The Govt of Japan has promulgated an advisory for preparedness for natural disasters. All Indian citizens in Japan are advised to follow the advisories promulgated by the Japanese authorities and monitor the website and social media handles of the Embassy of India in Tokyo,” the Indian Embassy in Japan said in a post on X.

The Govt of Japan has promulgated an advisory for preparedness for Natural Disasters. All Indian citizens in Japan are advised to follow the advisories promulgated by the Japanese authorities and monitor the website and social media handles of Embassy of India Tokyo. pic.twitter.com/Ef5lD08Yjb

— India in Japanインド大使館 (@IndianEmbTokyo) August 9, 2024

The embassy also shared the advisory document, which states that the Japan Meteorological Agency has issued an emergency bulletin on the Nankai Trough earthquake (warning a massive earthquake). 

The Government of Japan held a disaster response meeting, established a state of alert and has urged the citizens to reaffirm their earthquake preparedness on a daily basis.

Further, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) issued an advisory and set up a Disaster Management Headquarters (DMHQ) on August 8 to enhance preparedness in connection with the Mega-quake advisory (Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information) issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The advisory by TMG estimates that if the mega quake occurs, the damage in Tokyo will be of seismic intensity 6 or lower and there may be a tsunami that could effect the island areas.

According to the advisory, all Indian citizens in Japan are advised to adhere to warnings and instructions promulgated by the Government of Japan and local governments from time to time.

The Government of Japan has further reassured that there is no need to panic and that the advisory is only meant to enhance preparedness.

Two powerful earthquakes struck off Japan’s southern coast on Thursday. The first, a 6.9-magnitude quake, was followed by another 7.1-magnitude tremor, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

A house is seen collapsed in Oosaki town, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan Friday, August 9, 2024, following Thursday’s powerful earthquake.
| Photo Credit: AP

Japan’s earthquake scientists say the country should prepare for a possible “megaquake” one day that could kill hundreds of thousands of people – although they stress the warning does not mean a colossal tremor is imminent.

The Japan Meteorological Association (JMA) warning is the first issued under new rules drawn up after a 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster killed around 18,500 people.

What does the warning say?

The JMA’s “megaquake advisory” warns that “if a major earthquake were to occur in the future, strong shaking and large tsunamis would be generated. The likelihood of a new major earthquake is higher than normal, but this is not an indication that a major earthquake will definitely occur during a specific period of time,” it added.

The advisory concerns the Nankai Trough “subduction zone” between two tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean, where massive earthquakes have hit in the past.

What is the Nankai Trough?

The 800 km undersea trough runs from Shizuoka, west of Tokyo, to the southern tip of Kyushu Island. It has been the site of destructive quakes of magnitude eight or nine every century or two. These so-called “megathrust quakes”, which often occur in pairs, have been known to unleash dangerous tsunamis along Japan’s southern coast.

In 1707, all segments of the Nankai Trough ruptured at once, unleashing an earthquake that remains the nation’s second-most powerful on record. That quake – which also triggered the last eruption of Mount Fuji – was followed by two powerful Nankai megathrusts in 1854, and then a pair in 1944 and 1946.

How much is at stake?

Japan’s government has previously said the next magnitude 8-9 megaquake along the Nankai Trough has a roughly 70% probability of striking within the next 30 years. In the worst-case scenario 300,000 lives could be lost, experts estimate, with some engineers saying the damage could reach $13 trillion with infrastructure wiped out.

“The history of great earthquakes at Nankai is convincingly scary,” geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith A. Hubbard wrote in their Earthquake Insights newsletter. And “while earthquake prediction is impossible, the occurrence of one earthquake usually does raise the likelihood of another”, they explained.

“A future great Nankai earthquake is surely the most long-anticipated earthquake in history – it is the original definition of the ‘Big One’.”

How worried should people be?

Japan is reminding people living in quake zones to take general precautions, from securing furniture to knowing the location of their nearest evacuation shelter. Many households in the country also keep a disaster kit handy with bottled water, long-life food, a torch, radio and other practical items.

But there’s no need to panic – there is only a “small probability” that Thursday’s (August 8, 2024) magnitude 7.1 earthquake is a foreshock, according to Bradley and Hubbard.

“One of the challenges is that even when the risk of a second earthquake is elevated, it is still always low. For instance, in California, the rule of thumb is that any given earthquake has around 5% chance of being a foreshock,“ they said.

A house is seen collapsed in Oosaki town, Kagoshima prefecture, southern Japan Friday, August 9, 2024, following Thursday’s powerful earthquake.
| Photo Credit: AP

Japan’s earthquake scientists say the country should prepare for a possible “megaquake” one day that could kill hundreds of thousands of people – although they stress the warning does not mean a colossal tremor is imminent.

The Japan Meteorological Association (JMA) warning is the first issued under new rules drawn up after a 2011 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster killed around 18,500 people.

What does the warning say?

The JMA’s “megaquake advisory” warns that “if a major earthquake were to occur in the future, strong shaking and large tsunamis would be generated. The likelihood of a new major earthquake is higher than normal, but this is not an indication that a major earthquake will definitely occur during a specific period of time,” it added.

The advisory concerns the Nankai Trough “subduction zone” between two tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean, where massive earthquakes have hit in the past.

What is the Nankai Trough?

The 800 km undersea trough runs from Shizuoka, west of Tokyo, to the southern tip of Kyushu Island. It has been the site of destructive quakes of magnitude eight or nine every century or two. These so-called “megathrust quakes”, which often occur in pairs, have been known to unleash dangerous tsunamis along Japan’s southern coast.

In 1707, all segments of the Nankai Trough ruptured at once, unleashing an earthquake that remains the nation’s second-most powerful on record. That quake – which also triggered the last eruption of Mount Fuji – was followed by two powerful Nankai megathrusts in 1854, and then a pair in 1944 and 1946.

How much is at stake?

Japan’s government has previously said the next magnitude 8-9 megaquake along the Nankai Trough has a roughly 70% probability of striking within the next 30 years. In the worst-case scenario 300,000 lives could be lost, experts estimate, with some engineers saying the damage could reach $13 trillion with infrastructure wiped out.

“The history of great earthquakes at Nankai is convincingly scary,” geologists Kyle Bradley and Judith A. Hubbard wrote in their Earthquake Insights newsletter. And “while earthquake prediction is impossible, the occurrence of one earthquake usually does raise the likelihood of another”, they explained.

“A future great Nankai earthquake is surely the most long-anticipated earthquake in history – it is the original definition of the ‘Big One’.”

How worried should people be?

Japan is reminding people living in quake zones to take general precautions, from securing furniture to knowing the location of their nearest evacuation shelter. Many households in the country also keep a disaster kit handy with bottled water, long-life food, a torch, radio and other practical items.

But there’s no need to panic – there is only a “small probability” that Thursday’s (August 8, 2024) magnitude 7.1 earthquake is a foreshock, according to Bradley and Hubbard.

“One of the challenges is that even when the risk of a second earthquake is elevated, it is still always low. For instance, in California, the rule of thumb is that any given earthquake has around 5% chance of being a foreshock,“ they said.