there is a rush for basic necessities –

Fears of a possible mega-earthquake in Japan have triggered a spike in demand for disaster kits and essential goods across the country, as Japanese authorities urged people to avoid hoarding. After Japan’s meteorological agency said a major earthquake was more likely following a magnitude 7.1 quake in southern Japan on Thursday that injured 14 people, panic broke out among the public. A Tokyo supermarket posted a sign apologizing to customers for shortages of some products, blaming it on “media reports related to the earthquake.” “Potential sales restrictions are coming,” the sign said, adding that bottled water had already been rationed due to “unstable” supplies.

Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten’s website today showed portable toilets, preserved food and bottled water at the top of the list of most-searched items. Some retailers along the Pacific coast also reported strong demand for similar disaster-related supplies, local media reported. The mega-quake warning is about the Nankai Trough “subduction zone,” between two tectonic plates in the Pacific Ocean, where massive earthquakes have occurred in the past. It has been the site of destructive earthquakes of magnitude eight or nine every century or two, with the central government previously estimating that the next major quake could occur in the next 30 years with about a 70 percent chance.

But experts say the risk, while high, is still low, and the Agriculture and Fisheries Ministry has urged people “to refrain from excessive hoarding of goods.” A magnitude 5.3 earthquake shook the Kanazawa region near Tokyo on Friday, triggering emergency alerts on mobile phones and briefly suspending bullet train operations. Most seismologists believe Friday’s quake has no direct connection to the Nankai Trough megaquake, citing distance. On the social media platform X, spam posts exploiting fears about the megaquake are rapidly multiplying. Public broadcaster NHK said spam disguised as helpful tips about the quake was posted every few seconds on X, with links that instead directed users to porn or e-commerce sites. Such posts “make it increasingly difficult for users to obtain authentic information about earthquakes.” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida canceled a trip to Central Asia on Friday after earthquake scientists warned the country should prepare for a possible “megaquake.”