Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan on April 11 expressed his thanks to countries and people worldwide for wholeheartedly supporting Japan after a massive earthquake and tsunami ravaged the country on March 11.

His thanks were sent via seven world-leading newspapers in countries including China , the Republic of Korea , Russia and France . PM Kan spoke highly of the worldwide support to his country during its most difficult moments, which encouraged the country’s citizens and lifted their hopes.

PM Kan was expected to address a press conference the same day to call on the Japanese people not to be overly cautious in daily consumption. The government is concerned express over possibilities of economic sluggishness and difficulty in restoring quake-hit regions if low consumption persists.

However, the press briefing was cancelled after a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake hit northeastern Japan in the afternoon of April 11, prompting tsunami warning with waves of up to one metre for Ibaraki prefecture and 0.5 metre for Fukushima prefecture.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO), the operator of the Fukushima Power plant no 1, said the plant’s workers evacuated after the latest earthquake and said the earthquake had caused a cut in electricity supply to three reactors of the Fukushima plant no 1, interrupting water pumping to reactors no 1, 2 and 3.

Regarding problems at the stricken nuclear power plant, Japanese government spokesperson Yukio Edano said the danger of major nuclear leaks at the Fukushima plant had reduced considerably. However, he said, the plant could not operate normally and he requested residents continue evacuating in case of worsening developments./.