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Japan earthquake

At least thirteen people have been confirmed dead and approximately 300,000 residents have been instructed to leave their homes following the earthquake that struck Japan this week. Rescue operations are continuing across the affected prefectures, and officials have said openly that the confirmed toll is expected to rise as crews reach isolated communities and clear collapsed structures.

• Self-Defence Force units were mobilised within hours, the standard trigger for an event of this scale.
• Evacuation instructions — a stronger legal category than advisories — cover roughly 300,000 people, most in coastal and landslide-risk zones.
• Infrastructure damage is significant: road severance, water main failures and localised power loss are all reported.
• Multiple governments have offered assistance; Japan has historically accepted specialist search teams and declined general aid.