Japan has lifted its notice about a possible “megaquake”, one year after it was issued.
The alert warned people to stay on top of their situation but not to leave, citing the higher than usual but unavoidable likelihood of a major earthquake.
In response, thousands of Chinese people cancelled planned excursions and stocked up on requirements, while some high-speed road journey was also affected.
The Chinese authorities stated that they were free to “go back to normal habits” and that they were no longer being required to take special steps.
The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that as of Wednesday, it had not detected any geological activity in the area thought to be the site of the megaquake’s origin, which would indicate any significant changes.
The risk of a big earthquake is still present despite next week’s lifting of the warning, according to disaster management secretary Yoshifumi Matsumura.
He said no abnormalities had been detected in” seismic activity and crustal deformation” so the call for increased preparedness was lifted at 17: 00 local time ( 09: 00 BST ).
” But it does n’t mean the risk ( of a major earthquake ) has been eliminated”, he told reporters.
” We have been asking for specific steps, such as sleep while being prepared to leave quickly. But we will no more question for these methods, and the people of Japan are free to go back to normal life-style”, he added.
A 7. 1 magnitude earthquake hit off the southwestern area of Kyushu shortly after last week’s notice.
Because of the location of the core, which is located along Japan’s Pacific coast, geological activity is at its highest point, experts were on high alert.
Suruga Bay in northern Japan and the Hyuganada Sea in Kyushu’s southern region form the tray limit.
Some stores apparently left with empty shelves or forced to place restrictions on purchases like bottled waters following last year’s notice.
A trip to Central Asia was canceled by Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. As a caution, some shot carriages even slow down.
Taus thousands of people have died in earlier disasters in the Nankai Trough. These megaquakes have been recorded once every 90 to 200 times, with the most recent a occurring in 1946.
According to the Kyodo news agency, there is a 70 % to 80 % chance that a magnitude 8 or 9 earthquake will strike somewhere along the trough in the next 30 years. According to worst-case estimates, the earthquake and probable tsunami may result in the deaths of more than 200 000 people.