Japan issues its first ‘Megaquake’ warning after powerful tremor

A USGS ShakeMap of an earthquake off Japan’s southern coast on Aug 8, 2024. – Bloomberg

TOKYO: An earthquake off the coast of Japan’s southern island of Kyushu prompted the government to issue its first-ever warning for a megaquake from an undersea trough running along a swath of the country’s coast.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida called off a planned trip to Central Asia out of an abundance of caution following the warning. Bullet trains were running at reduced speeds, national broadcaster NHK is running cautionary graphics and some semiconductor-related factories temporarily halted production. Some beaches in the affected regions have been closed off for the time being, according to local reports.