Panic buying in Japan after warning of massive earthquake

Panic buying in Japan after the Meteorological Agency issued a warning of a massive earthquake led to a surge in demand for disaster relief kits and daily necessities on Saturday, prompting authorities to urge people to avoid stockpiling supplies.

A supermarket in Tokyo put up a sign apologising to customers for shortages of certain products and saying it would limit the amount of bottled water it bought, Agence France-Presse reported. Portable toilets, pickled food and bottled water are among the most sought-after items, according to the website of Japanese e-commerce giant Rakuten.

Some retailers along Japan's Pacific coast also said similar disaster-related items were in high demand.

Japan's Meteorological Agency issued its first warning of the risk of a major earthquake along Japan's Pacific coast Thursday after a 7.1-magnitude quake struck Miyazaki Prefecture. The meteorological administration warned that a large earthquake could occur in the Nankai Trough over the next week. It is the first time the Meteorological Agency has issued such a warning.

The Nanhai Trough in Japan is a trench from Suruga Bay in Honshu to the east of Kyushu, and is the boundary between the Philippine Sea plate and the Eurasian continental plate.

The Nanhai Trough earthquake has been described as one of the biggest disasters Japan could face in the future, with a maximum magnitude of 9 and the potential to trigger tsunamis of up to 34 meters.