Japan is facing its worst nightmare: a “megaquake” in the Nankai that could wipe out entire communities and claim the lives of up to 300,000 people. The government warns that unless protection measures are accelerated, the consequences will be nightmarish.

Scientists, according to the Daily Mail, are increasing the likelihood of a deadly earthquake off the coast of the country to more than 80 per cent over the next three decades. According to a new estimate, such an earthquake and the tsunami that would follow could cause more than two trillion dollars in damage and leave behind images of utter devastation.

Measures are ‘not enough’, the lives of millions hang in the balance

As early as 2014, there was a plan to reduce losses by 80%, but the reality is disappointing: current measures are only sufficient to reduce, by 20%, the number of deaths. The new plan, published on Tuesday, rings a bell: mounds, evacuation buildings, and frequent preparedness exercises are needed immediately to prevent the entire coastal zone of Japan from collapsing. “Everyone must work together to save lives, otherwise the price will be unimaginable,” Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said.

A “monster” earthquake that comes every century

The Nankai is considered one of the most dangerous on the planet: every 100 to 200 years, a “monster” earthquake sweeps through the region. The last one was in 1946. Today, with the “overflow” of information on social media, rumours are rampant. A popular manga, republished in 2021, “prophesies” biblical disaster on July 5, 2025 – sparking panic.

It’s no coincidence that foreign tourists are avoiding Japan: flights are being cancelled, and arrivals from Hong Kong have collapsed by 11% in a month. Meanwhile, some tourists talk of an “invisible threat” hanging over the islands.

The spectre of Fukushima haunts the country

The great earthquake of 2011 left an indelible mark on the country: a 48-metre-high tsunami, 15,500 dead, nuclear reactor meltdowns at Fukushima, and toxic waste that contaminated entire regions. Yet experts warn that the next “megaquake” could even surpass that nightmare.

“No one can say when it will happen,” says JMA’s Ryoichi Nomura. “But we need to prepare – and not panic unnecessarily. If we don’t, the price will be incalculable.”