Does Japan's megaquake alert mean the 'big one' is coming?

1 day ago

Shaimaa Khalil
BBC News, Tokyo

Flora Drury
BBC News, London

On the face of it, the earthquake that struck southern Japan on Thursday was not a big deal. The magnitude 7.1 quake did little damage and the tsunami warning was quickly scaled back. But the earthquake was swiftly followed by a warning - one which had never been given before.

There was, Japan's meteorological agency said, an increased risk of a "major earthquake". Japan's prime minister has cancelled a planned trip to a summit in Central Asia to be in the country for the next week.

For many in Japan, thoughts turned to the "big one" - a once-in-a-century quake that many had grown up being warned about.

Worst-case scenarios predict more than 300,000 dead, with a wall of water potentially 30m (100ft) striking along the East Asian nation's Pacific coast. Which sounds terrifying. And yet, the overwhelming feeling that Masayo Oshio was left with was confusion.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2en927054o