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According to Kyodo News and the Japan Broadcasting Association (NHK), the Japanese government announced the end of the one-week "huge earthquake warning" for the Nankai Trough on the afternoon of August 15th local time.

Japan's Minister of Disaster Prevention Yoshifumi Matsumura said, "Since no special changes in seismic activity or crustal deformation have been observed, the (government) has decided to end the 'huge earthquake warning' at 5 pm on the 15th."

But Matsumura added that "the call for special attention has ended. But this does not mean that the risk (of a major earthquake) has been eliminated." He called on the Japanese people to continue to ensure normal earthquake preparations, such as ensuring shelters, evacuation routes, and emergency reserves. Matsumura explained, "We believe that normal life will be fine, but the Nankai Trough earthquake is difficult to predict correctly, so daily preparations are very important."

Kyodo News reported that as a country prone to earthquakes, Japan has long been concerned about the possibility of an earthquake of magnitude 8 to 9 along the Nankai Trough in the next 30 years, and predicted that large areas could suffer from tremors and large coastal areas could be engulfed by large-scale tsunamis.

Earlier, on August 8, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake occurred in the sea near Kyushu Island in southwestern Japan, with the epicenter located at the western edge of the Nankai Trough in Japan. A few hours after the earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a major earthquake warning and reminded the public that the risk of a large-scale earthquake in the Nankai Trough area within a week was higher than usual, urging the Japanese people to remain vigilant and be prepared. Of Japan's 47 prefectures, 29 were listed as areas that may be affected by a major earthquake, including the capital Tokyo. This is the first "major earthquake warning" ever issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency.

According to historical records, a major earthquake occurs in the area around the Nankai Trough in Japan every 100 to 150 years, and it has been about 80 years since the most recent one.

On March 11, 2011, a strong earthquake struck northeastern Japan, triggering a massive tsunami and leading to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident. The magnitude of the earthquake reached 9.0, making it the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Japan.

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