Because Japan is on the “Ring of Fire,” it is often considered to be an incredibly earthquake-prone country, as it has quakes more than any other place in the world.

According to the United States Geological Survey, this quake occurred around 4:43 p.m. local time on Thursday. It had a depth of about 17 miles.

So far, no issues have been detected at these plants.

One video shows many people hiding under tables in a bowling alley, with TV screens swaying severely over their heads.

Another video depicts what a shopping mall experienced during this event, as clothes on racks can be seen swaying.

The “Ring of Fire” is a line of seismic faults that appear to encircle the Pacific Ocean. As a result, quakes can often happen — something Japan knows about all too well.

This warning is now in place for many coastal areas, including the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, both of which are in the south.

As a result, this forecast has been issued for regions as north as Chiba Prefecture’s Boso Peninsula.

However, the public broadcaster NHK has stated that the Miyazaki prefecture may be impacted the most by this potential tsunami.

Experts have explained that waves as large as 1 meter could reach Kagoshima, Miyazaki, Kochi, and Oita. Other islands could also be hit hard by these enormous waves.

The tremors caused relatively minimal damage on the island. According to NBC News, the largest tsunami wave it produced would have risen up to your knee. The main worry of seismologists was that this earthquake could create enough stress to trigger an even bigger quake that could cause exponentially more damage.

The Nankai trough is one of the most dangerous earthquake faults in Japan. The subduction zone has the potential to create 100-foot-tall tsunami waves. A tsunami of such magnitude could kill nearly a third of a million people, according to Japanese government estimates.

However, the company has also suspended its bullet train services, simply as a precaution before this tsunami event.

The advisory called on officials to close beaches, cancel firework displays, and slow down trains. In the meantime, the public rushed to stock up on emergency supplies. The government called on residents to be prepared to flee at a moment’s notice. 

Now, concerns remain as the country anticipates the possibility of a tsunami, which could bring further danger to Japan.

A Cabinet Office disaster response official, Tsukasa Morikubo, said the end of the advisory period does not mean there is no risk of a megaquake. “A next major one can hit anytime, anywhere,” said Morikubo.

There is a 70 to 80% chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 quake associated with the Nankai trough within the next 30 years. However, seismologists say the location or specific timeframe for this megaquake remains unknown.

In comparison to the warnings issued in Japan, “we don’t have such a protocol,” according to Harold Tobin, Washington’s state seismologist. The U.S. West Coast sits on the Cascadia subduction zone, an earthquake fault that is similarly dangerous to those around Japan.

A magnitude-9 earthquake on this fault would kill approximately 14,000 people in Oregon and Washington.

In the year 1700, an earthquake took place that caused a forest to lurch downward by more than three feet. The quake triggered a tsunami reaching 100 feet high, tearing through the forest at 20 or 30 miles per hour. Nowadays, a series of dead cedar trees tell the story of the violent earthquake.

Not only are the faults similar, but Japan has recorded some of America’s most powerful earthquakes on the West Coast. “Some of the very best written records of our tsunami in 1700 come from Nankai,” said Brian Atwater, a USGS geologist emeritus.

This zone runs from Northern California to northern Vancouver Island. A large earthquake is estimated to take place every 450 to 500 years. “It’s going to be the worst natural disaster in our country’s history,” said Robert Ezelle, the director of Washington state’s emergency management division.

Tobin has wondered for years when he should sound the alarm when he discovers clues that an earthquake could hit Oregon and Washington. “You don’t want a mass evacuation panic that’s not warranted, but you want people not to go on their merry ways,” said Tobin.

However, while Japanese officials have warned the public and precautions have been taken, America is not ready. If a major Cascadian earthquake hits, it could injure more than 100,000 people. “It would be neighbors taking care of neighbors,” said Ezelle.