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last mo.

Japan Updates Megaquake Projections as 6.0 Magnitude Quake Strikes Kyushu

New government estimates warn of nearly 300,000 potential deaths and $1.8 trillion in damages from a Nankai Trough megaquake, with recent seismic activity underscoring the urgency of disaster preparedness.

This picture taken on March 11, 2011, shows a tsunami breaching an embankment and flowing into the city of Miyako in Iwate prefecture shortly after a 9.0 magnitude earthquake hit the region of northern Japan.
Tremors of the first earthquake were felt in the district headquarters and Bhatwadi tehsil, with its epicentre near Tiloth (Representative file photo)

Overview

  • A 6.0 magnitude earthquake struck Kyushu, Japan, on April 2, 2025, with no reported damage, highlighting ongoing seismic risks in the region.
  • The Japanese government recently revised projections for a Nankai Trough megaquake, estimating up to 298,000 deaths and $1.8 trillion in economic losses.
  • The updated figures reduce the death toll estimate by 10% compared to 2012 but increase projected economic losses from $1.4 trillion to $1.8 trillion.
  • Japan's disaster prevention plan is being updated to designate additional priority regions based on expanded flood risk zones and emphasize swift tsunami evacuations.
  • The Nankai Trough, an undersea trench off Japan's southern coast, has a 70-80% probability of producing a magnitude 8-9 earthquake within the next 30 years.