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Quake Toll Set at 46 as Muroran Prioritizes Shelters and Hokkaido Governor Gives Consent for Tomari Restart

The day’s moves highlight immediate safety planning alongside longer-term choices on energy and public services.

Overview

  • Aomori updated its count to 31 injured from the offshore quake, putting the total across Hokkaido, Aomori and Iwate at 46.
  • Muroran decided to open eight designated evacuation centers first if a tsunami warning follows the ongoing aftershock advisory, targeting activation within 30 minutes on weekday daytimes.
  • Hokkaido Governor Naomichi Suzuki progressed from stating acceptance to formally expressing consent for restarting Tomari Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 after debate in the prefectural assembly.
  • At a nationwide governors’ meeting, many governors opposed a proposal to split the cost of elementary school lunch free programs between the central government and prefectures, urging full national funding.
  • Ecologists from the Ecological Society of Japan’s Kyushu branch asked the developer of the 480‑megawatt Uku Island mega‑solar project to implement expert‑guided conservation measures, noting construction began in December 2023 with operation targeted in fiscal 2026.