TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Several parts of Japan's Pacific coast could be hit by tsunami higher than 20 meters if the largest possible earthquake occurs in the "Nankai Trough" located in the seabed off central to western Japan, an expert panel under the Cabinet Office said Saturday.In its previous estimate in 2003 the panel had said no areas would be struck by tsunami higher than 20 meters. In light of the March 2011 disaster, however, it revised its projection assuming a magnitude 9 earthquake.
According to the new projection, there would be huge tsunami in areas from the Kanto region centering on Tokyo to the Kyushu region in southwest Japan in the event a massive quake occurred in the trough.
A tsunami of up to 34.4 meters might hit Kuroshio, Kochi Prefecture, while tsunami between 10 and 20 meters could strike parts of Shizuoka, Kochi and Miyazaki prefectures. Shizuoka is southwest of Tokyo and has a nuclear power plant.
Near the Hamaoka nuclear plant, now offline, a tsunami of 21 meters is anticipated, the panel said. The operator Chubu Electric Power Co. is working on building an anti-tsunami breakwater near the plant, but its planned height is only 18 meters. Read More
