January 1, 2024
1. A powerful earthquake measuring 7.6 magnitude on the Richter scale struck the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture in Japan at around 15:10 Taipei time on January 1, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue tsunami alerts for Japanese coastal areas. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) of the Republic of China (Taiwan) is highly concerned about the damage caused by the earthquake and has been in contact with the Taipei Office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association to express its sympathies and willingness to provide assistance.
2. Immediately following the earthquake, MOFA instructed the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in Osaka to gather information about the disaster situation and ascertain whether any R.O.C. (Taiwan) nationals were affected. TECO Osaka has contacted Taiwanese overseas compatriot communities and overseas student organizations under its purview and so far has received no reports of anyone being affected. It has received requests for assistance from a number of Taiwanese tourists who have been unable to catch flights back to Taiwan due to the disruption caused by the earthquake. It is now proactively working to assist them.
3. MOFA has instructed TECO Osaka to continue to monitor the disaster situation and possible tsunami threats and provide necessary assistance to R.O.C. (Taiwan) nationals. In the event of an emergency, nationals are advised to immediately call the TECO Osaka emergency hotline: +81-90-8794-4568.