Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Cancels Central Asia Tour Over Concerns of Additional Earthquake Damage

Tension Rises Amid Nankai Trough Megaquake Warning

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has decided to cancel his Central Asia tour due to concerns over additional damage caused by a strong earthquake that occurred off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to NHK on the 9th, Prime Minister Kishida was scheduled to visit five Central Asian countries, starting with Kazakhstan, followed by Uzbekistan and Mongolia, from the 9th to the 12th for summit meetings. However, he canceled the tour following the earthquake the previous day and a meteorological agency announcement warning of a possible larger earthquake (the Nankai Trough earthquake).

The day before, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan, injuring 12 people. Although the damage was relatively minor despite the strong quake, the meteorological agency’s warning about a major Nankai Trough earthquake heightened tensions across Japan.

Prime Minister Kishida has decided to focus on disaster recovery efforts and strengthening preparedness against additional damage.

The Japanese government plans to hold summit meetings with the five Central Asian countries and other possible engagements online.

The Nankai Trough earthquake refers to a magnitude 8 to 9 major earthquake that occurs at intervals of 100 to 150 years along the Nankai Trough, which extends from the sea off Shizuoka Prefecture west of the Tokyo metropolitan area to the southern part of Shikoku and the eastern sea area of Kyushu.