Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to cancel his planned trip to Central Asia in order to lead the government's response following a warning of a possible 'megaquake' off the country's southern coast. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first-ever 'megaquake advisory' after a magnitude 7.1 quake struck just off the eastern coast of Kyushu island.
The advisory was prompted by concerns over the underwater Nankai Trough, a known source of past devastating earthquakes along Japan's Pacific coast. Seismologists held an emergency meeting to assess the risk of a major quake and urged the public to exercise caution for about a week.
