Japan Holds Earthquake Drill On Disaster Prevention Day
September 1 is Disaster Prevention Day in Japan. The Japanese government held a drill on Thursday based on the scenario of a massive earthquake striking the Nankai Trough off Japan's Pacific coast.
Disaster Prevention Day commemorates the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake, which left more than 100,000 people dead in and around Tokyo.
This year's drill assumed a magnitude 9.1 quake had occurred off the coast of Wakayama Prefecture, western Japan, around 7 a.m. It also supposed that violent jolts had struck many regions in western and eastern Japan and a major tsunami warning had been issued.
Ministers gathered at the prime minister's office for an emergency taskforce meeting to confirm the extent of the damage and discuss their responses.
The ministers also held video calls with officials of Aichi Prefecture, where major damage could be expected. They assessed what kind of support was needed and how to coordinate responses.
Prime Minister Kishida Fumio held a news conference to explain the government's responses and to call for the public's cooperation.
In the drill, the Meteorological Agency issued extra information for a Nankai Trough earthquake. The agency called for vigilance for further massive jolts, using the key phrase "massive earthquake warning" for the first time.