The government on Monday held a disaster drill under the assumption that a megaquake had occurred in the Nankai Trough off Japan's Pacific coast.

In the drill, an emergency disaster response headquarters headed by Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba was established. Holding a meeting at the Prime Minister's Office, the headquarters confirmed the responses of each ministry and agency and received an online report on the situation in the affected areas from Shizuoka Gov. Yasutomo Suzuki.

After the 7.9 magnitude Great Kanto Earthquake occurred on Sept. 1, 1923, leaving more than 100,000 people dead or missing in Tokyo and surrounding areas, the government designated Sept. 1 as Disaster Prevention Day in 1960. It has since held an annual earthquake response drill on that day.

This year's drill was based on the scenario of a 9.1 magnitude earthquake occurring off the southern Pacific coast of Wakayama Prefecture at 5:10 p.m., measuring 7 — the highest level — on Japan's seismic intensity scale, in a wide area stretching from the Tokai region to the Kyushu region.

In light of a massive quake that hit the Noto Peninsula in central Japan in early evening on Jan. 1, 2024, the drill was held under the assumption that an earthquake had occurred after sunset in winter, when the damage could be exacerbated.

Attending the headquarters meeting online in the drill, the Shizuoka governor said, "Given the anticipated shortage of stockpiled supplies, we ask for swift and smooth support (by the central government) using all available means."

Ishiba responded, "We will spare no effort in rescuing and evacuating victims."

Later in the drill, the prime minister held a news conference to explain the government's responses. "The spread of malicious false information about the damage situation is unacceptable. I ask for your restraint," he said, also requesting that people refrain from hoarding food and other supplies.

Ahead of the drill, Cabinet members came to the Prime Minister's Office by foot, assuming a major earthquake occurring directly beneath the Tokyo metropolitan area.

The government's damage estimates for a Nankai Trough earthquake released in March project a death toll of some 298,000 in the worst-case scenario. Separately, the number of deaths from indirect causes related to the earthquake is estimated to reach up to 52,000.

To reduce the possible damage, the government is working on measures such as decentralized stockpiling of supplies and improving conditions for evacuation shelters.

After the drill at the Prime Minister's Office, Ishiba visited the city of Saitama and inspected a joint disaster drill held by nine prefectures and cities in the Tokyo metropolitan area for a possible temblor occurring directly underneath the capital.