Japan Aims to Reduce Expected Megaquake Death Toll by 80 Pct

Newsfrom Japan

Society

Jun 10, 2025 16:48 (JST)

Tokyo, June 10 (Jiji Press)–The Japanese government plans to set a target of reducing the expected death toll from a possible megaquake in the Nankai Trough off the country’s Pacific coast by 80 pct in the next 10 years from its recent estimate of up to 298,000 deaths, it was learned Tuesday.

The target will be included in a new basic plan for promoting disaster prevention measures, which is expected to be adopted by the government’s Central Disaster Management Council in early July.

The government will also aim to halve the expected number of burned and destroyed buildings in the possible megaquake, currently at up to 2.35 million.

The basic plan lists emergency earthquake response measures and disaster mitigation targets for the next 10 years.

The government is now working to update the existing plan, based on damage estimates released in March. The new plan is expected to call for working intensively to develop evacuation shelters and stockpile emergency supplies to prevent earthquake-related deaths from indirect causes.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]

Jiji Press