At 9:19 p.m. on Monday, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake 〞 measuring a lower 5 on Japan*s seismic intensity scale 〞 struck southern Japan, with the epicenter in the Hyuganada Sea off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture.

Immediately after, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said it would begin a temporary investigation into the possibility of issuing an emergency advisory alert regarding a potential Nankai Trough earthquake, holding an evaluation meeting among experts to assess the situation.

When a quake struck a similar area in southern Japan in August of last year, an advisory regarding a possible megaquake along the Nankai Trough was issued for the first time in history, with the notice in place for around a week.