Photo/Illutration The popular Shirarahama Beach in Shirahama, Wakayama Prefecture, reopens on Aug. 15 following a temporary closure due to a megaquake advisory. (Shinichi Katsube)

The government lifted its megaquake advisory just after 5 p.m. on Aug. 15, but urged the public to remain vigilant for a possible Nankai Trough earthquake.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its first megaquake advisory after a magnitude-7.0 earthquake struck off Miyazaki Prefecture on Aug. 8.

Seismologists feared that temblor could trigger a long-expected megaquake in the Nankai Trough, which extends along Japan’s Pacific coast.

So the government called on 707 municipalities across 29 prefectures to reinforce preparations and ensure that residents could evacuate immediately in the event of a large-scale earthquake.

After a week passed with no major seismic activity in the trough, the government determined that the immediate need for heightened preparedness has subsided.

The government said citizens should continue their daily preparedness efforts, such as securing furniture and stocking emergency supplies. It emphasizes that the possibility of a megaquake has not entirely disappeared.

A Nankai Trough earthquake is expected to register a seismic intensity of 7 on the Japanese scale of 7 in areas from Shizuoka to Miyazaki prefectures.

The broader surrounding region would likely experience strong shaking with intensities ranging from upper 6 to lower 6.

Government estimates in 2012 predicted that, in a worst-case scenario, 323,000 people would die or go missing in a Nankai Trough megaquake.

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