The Japanese government held an annual disaster drill Thursday, though again scaling it back to prevent the spread of COVID-19, based on the scenario that a massive earthquake originating off Japan's Pacific coast had affected wide areas.
The drill took place on the 99th anniversary of a magnitude 7.9 temblor that devastated Tokyo and its neighboring prefectures in 1923, with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida joining the interprefectural exercises via helicopter.
Because of the quake, Sept. 1 is designated as Disaster Prevention Day and disaster drills are held across the quake-prone country every year to raise public awareness and disseminate disaster prevention knowledge.