NHK has learned that Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio has canceled a visit to three Central Asian countries to deal with the magnitude 7.1 quake that struck off Miyazaki Prefecture on Thursday. He also wants to take all possible measures against a potential megaquake.
Kishida had been scheduled to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia from Friday for a summit meeting with the leaders of five countries in Central Asia. He is expected to attend the meeting online if the situation permits.
Government sources said Kishida wants to assess the damage from Thursday’s quake and prioritize recovery and other disaster-response operations.
The Meteorological Agency has issued a special advisory urging people to take precautions against a possible megaquake. The agency says there is a relatively high possibility that a giant earthquake will strike the area where the Nankai Trough is located.
Agency officials note this does not mean that something will definitely occur. But sources say Kishida decided to cancel his trip to ensure that the government is fully prepared.
Kishida is expected to speak about his plans at a news conference in Nagasaki on Friday. He will likely call on people to act calmly and to be prepared in the event of an emergency.