Japan Urges Citizens to Stay Calm and Avoid Panic Buying Amid Superquake Fears
As concerns about a potential superquake escalate, the Japanese government is urging citizens to remain calm and avoid unnecessary stockpiling of essential goods and disaster preparedness kits.
On August 10th, Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries released a statement encouraging the public to “refrain from excessive stockpiling.” This message followed reports from both online and physical stores about a sudden surge in demand for key supplies.
In Tokyo, a supermarket posted a notice apologizing for the shortage of certain products, warning customers that they might have to limit the quantity of goods sold per person. Bottled water, for instance, was already being restricted to one pack of six bottles per customer.
On Rakuten’s e-commerce platform, items like portable toilets, instant packaged foods, and bottled water quickly became top sellers. Other retailers also reported similar spikes in demand.
The panic buying spree was sparked by a warning from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), which highlighted a “higher-than-normal” risk of a superquake along the Nankai Trough, a submarine trench that runs along Japan’s Pacific coast.
For years, Japanese authorities have estimated a 70-80% chance of an 8-9 magnitude earthquake striking the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years. In the worst-case scenario, such a quake could impact a vast area from Kanto to Kyushu and trigger tsunamis that could devastate coastal regions from Kanto to Okinawa.
Goods run out quickly in stores in Japan.
Following a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in southwestern Japan on August 8th, which injured 14 people, the JMA reported that the likelihood of a superquake had “increased several times.”
However, the agency also emphasized that “this does not mean a major earthquake is certain to occur.” While the risk has risen, experts noted that it remains relatively low.
Officials are also cautioning the public against social media posts that exploit fears of a superquake. According to NHK, some of these posts offer earthquake survival tips but redirect users to inappropriate or commercial websites after a few seconds.
