On Friday, Kishida announced that he would be staying in Japan to address the aftermath of the earthquake, according to Japannews. The decision came after a strong earthquake struck Miyazaki Prefecture on Thursday, August 8. In response, the Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first warning of a potential mega-earthquake in the Nankai Trough area and issued tsunami warnings for five prefectures.
The Prime Minister’s trip was originally set to include visits to Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Mongolia. In Astana, Kishida was expected to participate in the first summit of the “Central Asia + Japan” Dialogue.
This cancellation underscores the severity of the earthquake and the Japanese government’s focus on ensuring public safety and managing the crisis at home.
