‘Massive earthquake' risk increases in Japan

The possibility of a “massive” earthquake jolting Japan has “increased,” the country’s weather agency has warned.

The warning was issued after southwestern Japan was jolted on Thursday by a strong 7.1 magnitude earthquake, forcing Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to cancel his trip to Central Asia on Friday.

It is the “first such advisory for areas around the Nankai Trough” -- stretching from southwestern to central Japan -- issued by Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported.

"In the worst-case scenario, a powerful temblor could shake a wide area of Japan -- from the Kanto region centering on Tokyo to the southwestern Kyushu region -- and high tsunami waves could engulf the coastal areas of Kanto to Okinawa," said the agency.

Several injuries and damage to buildings were reported in Miyazaki and two neighboring provinces after the earthquake hit the region on Thursday.

On New Year's Day this year, Japan was hit by a strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake, which killed 238, while at least 19 were still missing in the Noto Peninsula in central Japan.

Kishida was set to fly to Astana to co-chair the first-ever summit with the Central Asian nations -- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan.

Later, he would fly to Mongolia to meet with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh, as well as Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene.

However, the scheduled programs have been delayed.