Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Japan Lifts Weeklong Quake Advisory as New Study Warns of Worst-Case M9 Toll

Officials urge continued preparedness following a week of heightened seismic activity.

Overview

  • The Japan Meteorological Agency ended its special subsequent‑earthquake advisory at midnight Monday after the Dec. 8 magnitude‑7.5 offshore quake.
  • The advisory, the first of its kind, covered 182 municipalities across seven prefectures from Hokkaido to Chiba and signaled elevated short‑term risk without requiring evacuation.
  • Authorities report continued tremors, including a magnitude‑4.9 near Miyako in Iwate, and ask residents to review evacuation routes and secure homes.
  • A government and Central Disaster Management Council study estimates up to 199,000 deaths in a “maximum‑class” magnitude‑9 event along the Japan and Chishima trenches.
  • Officials tallied 46 injuries and more than 9,000 evacuees, with temporary Tohoku Shinkansen suspensions and over 300 one‑day school closures; the response tested Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s new administration and drew questions about public guidance.