The Japan Times reports that on August 8, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued its first "super earthquake warning" since a 7.1-magnitude earthquake occurred earlier in the day off the coast of Kyushu, the country's third-largest island. There are no immediate reports of severe damage or injuries.
The earthquake occurred around 16:43 local time off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture in Kyushu, at a depth of approximately 29 km, triggering a tsunami warning, JMA said.
Seismologists are reportedly holding an emergency meeting to analyze whether the earthquake affected the nearby Nankai Trough, where there has long been concern that a major earthquake could cause hundreds of thousands of fatalities. According to JMA, major earthquakes have occurred every 100 to 150 years in central and western Japan.
According to Japan Forward, the government predicts a major earthquake at the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years with a probability of 70-80%.
Following the August 8 earthquake, JMA stated that "the likelihood of a large earthquake is considered relatively high compared to normal conditions." The agency urged citizens to be more vigilant in the coming week.
The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority confirmed that all 12 nuclear reactors on Kyushu and Shikoku islands are safe.
The 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that struck Japan in March 2011 killed 18,000 people and led to the Fukushima nuclear disaster.
Japan is located on the "Pacific Ring of Fire," a seismic fault line encircling the Pacific Ocean and is one of the countries most prone to earthquakes in the world.
More than 240 people died and tens of thousands of homes were destroyed in January when a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Noto Peninsula in western Japan.
