Last week’s megaquake alert by Japan’s Meteorological Agency (JMA) has had a significant impact on people’s travel plans, with several tourists canceling hotel reservations. The unprecedented advisory was issued last Thursday after the magnitude 7.1 earthquake in Kyushu. According to the agency, the possibility of a major earthquake occurring in the Nankai Trough is higher than usual. People have been asked to review routine earthquake preparedness and stay alert for a week. While officials haven’t observed any irregular changes in the earth’s crust where the jolt is expected to occur, the advisory remains in place.  

People Afraid To Travel After Megaquake Advisory  

On Friday, just a day after the alert was issued, Sansuien, a ryokan in Kochi Prefecture, reported that around 450 guests had canceled their reservations. The 71st Yosakoi Festival kicked off that same day in the prefecture, with four of the 188 teams dropping out. In the coastal town of Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, hotel and ryokan cancelations have exceeded 550 in the past few days. Beaches have also been closed in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, and Nichinan, Miyazaki Prefecture. Japan railway companies, meanwhile, are offering a refund or rescheduled ticket to anyone with reservations from August 8 or after for no extra charge.  

False Information Spreading on Social Media  

Since last Thursday’s earthquake there have been several social media posts warning people about the megaquake hitting on specific days. These dates seem to have just been plucked from the air. There have also been many images of so-called “earthquake clouds,” that reportedly appear before tremors. There is, however, no scientific basis for this assertion. “Clouds can’t be a precursor to earthquakes,” Kentaro Araki, a senior researcher at JMA’s Meteorological Research Institute, wrote on X. “The government will continue to release accurate information,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi at a press conference last Friday. “I hope people won’t be misled by uncertain information and that they will help one another take action,” he added.  

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