Latest news Concerns about mega-quake in Japan after strong shaking

Following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in southwestern Japan, the Meteorological Agency in Tokyo has for the first time warned of a higher than usual risk of a mega-quake on the island nation's Pacific coast.

A panel of experts declared that the probability of a major earthquake along the so-called Nankai Trench had increased "many times over". People have been urged to prepare for all eventualities. This is a deep-sea trench that extends off the coast of the Asian economic powerhouse for around 900 kilometers from Shizuoka Prefecture on the main island of Honshu - where the capital Tokyo is located - to Kyushu.

According to estimates by the Japanese government, there is a 70 to 80 percent probability that an earthquake of magnitude 8 to 9 will occur along the Nankai Trench within the next 30 years. According to estimates, up to 323,000 people could lose their lives. The classification of an increased risk by the Meteorological Agency followed a tremor off Kyushu in the southwest, one of Japan's four main islands. According to Japanese media, several people were injured and there were also reports of damage to buildings and roads. However, there were no irregularities at nuclear power plants in the region, according to reports.

What should be feared in the event of an earthquake?

The earth has repeatedly shaken in the Nankai Trench area, most recently in 1946. Today, a mega-quake and subsequent tsunami would cause devastating damage in the island kingdom. In the worst case scenario, Tokyo and other major cities with millions of inhabitants would also be affected. Following the triple disaster in March 2011, when a magnitude 9 quake triggered a massive tsunami in north-eastern Japan, killing around 20,000 people and causing a nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan's seismologists are therefore paying particular attention to the Nankai Trench. It is feared that the consequences of a mega-quake in this zone would be considerably worse than in 2011.

Thursday's quake occurred at a depth of around 30 kilometers off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture. The operation of high-speed trains was temporarily interrupted. The shaking and the classification of an increased risk for the Nankai Trench show Japan's population once again what dangers lie in wait for them. Strong earthquakes can strike at any time. No one can predict exactly where and when they will occur. Many fear that a major earthquake will hit Tokyo at some point.

However, there was no panic among the population this time either. What is sometimes misunderstood in the West as equanimity is in fact the composure and perseverance with which the Japanese face forces of nature such as the one on Thursday. The realization that one can ultimately only resign oneself to living on a powder keg has led to exceptional endurance in times of crisis among the islanders. The island kingdom of Japan is one of the countries most threatened by earthquakes in the world.