Japan ready to support Taiwan following strong quake: Kishida

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Wednesday that Japan is ready to provide any support necessary to Taiwan, "a neighbor across the sea," following a powerful earthquake that struck off the east coast of the island.

In a post on X, Kishida expressed his sympathy for victims of the magnitude-7.7 temblor that struck earlier in the day.

Kishida also expressed appreciation for the "heartwarming support offered by Taiwanese people, who are our dear friends," in the wake of an earthquake that hit Japan on New Year's Day as well as after a massive quake and tsunami disaster in 2011.

In response, Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen thanked Kishida for his message and said on the X platform that she was reminded of the friendship between Taiwan and Japan, having seen the encouraging messages Japanese people have posted on social media.

"The Taiwanese government has already implemented various measures and conducted rescue operations," Tsai said in the post in Japanese, adding that she is thankful for the concern shown for Taiwan.

At a regular news conference, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Japan has not currently received a formal request for support, adding the Taiwanese side is now managing the crisis on its own.

There are currently no reports of Japanese casualties, the top government spokesman said, citing local information.