Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has cancelled his planned four-day trip to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia, following a significant increase in earthquake risk warnings from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA). The agency has issued its first advisory for the Nankai Trough region, a major earthquake-prone area, after a powerful magnitude-7.1 quake struck Japan’s southwest on Thursday.
Kishida, who was scheduled to attend Japan’s inaugural summit with Central Asian nations in Astana, Kazakhstan, and hold meetings in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, announced his decision to cancel the trip during a press conference in Nagasaki. The conference marked the 79th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki by the United States. Kishida stated that his priority is now focused on managing the potential crisis and ensuring effective communication with the public regarding the looming earthquake threat.
In his statement, Kishida emphasized, “As the top official responsible for crisis management, I must stay in Japan for the next week to oversee the government’s response and public preparedness for a potential megaquake.” This decision comes as the JMA has urged the public to brace for possible seismic activity in a vast area stretching from southwestern to central Japan.
The planned summit was intended to strengthen ties with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In Mongolia, Kishida was set to engage with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene.
Earlier on Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi indicated that Kishida’s decision would be based on the evolving situation and various factors concerning the earthquake risk. The recent quake has resulted in multiple injuries and damage to buildings in Miyazaki and neighboring prefectures, though no fatalities have been reported.
As Japan braces for potential further seismic activity, the government remains focused on crisis management and public safety measures, with Kishida’s presence in the country underscoring the gravity of the situation.