Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has canceled a planned trip to Central Asia. This came after earthquake scientists said the country should prepare for a possible "mega-earthquake", AFP reported.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JAMA) issued the advisory on August 8 after eight people were injured by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in the southern part of the country.
Kishida was scheduled to travel Friday to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia and planned to participate in a regional summit.
"As the prime minister with the greatest responsibility for crisis management, I decided that I should stay in Japan for at least a week," the prime minister said.
He added that the public should feel "very concerned" after the YAMA issued its first recommendation under the new system. It was prepared after a massive 9.0 magnitude earthquake in 2011 that triggered a deadly tsunami and nuclear disaster.
"The probability of another strong earthquake is higher than normal, but this is not an indication that a strong earthquake is certain to occur," YAMA said.
Traffic lights and cars shook and dishes fell off shelves during the Aug. 8 earthquake off the southern island of Kyushu, but no serious damage was reported.
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said eight people were injured, including several struck by falling objects. | BGNES
