Japanese Meteorological agency issues mega-quake advisory as precaution

[guyfriday]

Why isn't this being talked about as much as it should?
Meteorological agency issues mega-quake advisory as precaution | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Japanese authorities are urging people in a wide section of the country to take precautions against a possible mega-earthquake.
 
They have issued a special advisory for the first time. This comes after a powerful quake rocked Kyushu on Thursday.
 
The advisory is part of a precautionary measure being taken against a possible mega earthquake. The measure is known as the Nankai Trough Earthquake Extra Information protocol.
 
The Japan Meteorological Agency says there is a relatively high possibility that a giant earthquake will strike the area where the Nankai Trough is located. If a large-scale earthquake occurs in the future, strong tremors and large tsunami are expected. While the possibility is now higher than usual, the agency notes this does not mean that something will definitely occur during a certain period of time.
 
A magnitude 7.1 quake struck southwestern Japan early on Thursday, and more tremors hit the area through Friday. Experts note that seismic activity remains high.

If this occurs the amount of damage could be drastic. 

 
Experts believe that the Nankai Trough quake could occur along the plate boundary between Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture and the Hyuganada Sea off Kyushu. They believe there is a 70 to 80 percent chance that it will strike within the next three decades and have a magnitude in the range of 8 to 9.
 
According to a recent government estimate, in the worst-case scenario, it could claim more than 230,000 lives and destroy about 2 million buildings.

The target area includes the island of Okinawa, which has a lot of US military assists on it. If this quake happens and those bases are massively damaged it might push the Japanese government to vacate the region so that they can claim autonomy over their defense and defense of the region. While I doubt that would occur, I can see it happening under a Japanese Government that switches towards a regional coalition philosophy similar to what China is pushing. 

Hopefully the Next Presidential Administration would be more into helping the Japanese recover, then leave them high and dry for China to swoop in and claim to be the hero like they did with Tawain not that long ago.

[Maxmars]

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Experts believe that the Nankai Trough quake could occur along the plate boundary between Suruga Bay in Shizuoka Prefecture and the Hyuganada Sea off Kyushu. They believe there is a 70 to 80 percent chance that it will strike within the next three decades and have a magnitude in the range of 8 to 9.

According to a recent government estimate, in the worst-case scenario, it could claim more than 230,000 lives and destroy about 2 million buildings.

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I get how important this is... 
I get that people had best prepare for these things...

... but "within the next three decades" is almost a call to simply shut down the city, and have everyone move away until the risk is over.

I find the idea frightening, because the loss of life alone would be tragic... and the warning will only have served those who left before it happened.

I would pray that the tectonic pressure miraculously shunts to a less damaging event.

[Sirius]

The Japanese is probability the only people in the world that can survive the announcement of mag 8 or 9 earthquake coming never mind the actual quake. Imagine your city got a warning two days in advance.