If and when the next major earthquake hits Tokyo, Japan's post March 11-Reconstruction Minister Tatsuo Hirano is convinced the capital, and other urban hubs around the country, are in good shape to withstand the force.

"Please rest assured, and don't flee Tokyo," said Mr. Hirano, who is also the country's minister of state for disaster management, speaking at the Foreign Correspondents' Club in Tokyo on Thursday.

The reason for his apparent confidence? The strength of Tokyo's buildings and transportation systems like elevated roadways and tracks.

"I can prove this (safety) by pointing to the fact that despite the strong lateral movements triggered by the March 11 earthquake, the shinkansen (bullet train) recovered very quickly," he said. "I think this is proof how far our earthquake resistance technology has advanced."

According to scientists, Tokyo's ability to resist could be tested in the not too distant future. The government's Earthquake Research Promotion agency said earlier this month that there is an 88% chance a magnitude-8.0 earthquake will shake the Tokai region, which lays to the south of Tokyo, sometime in the next 30 years, slightly up from its previous assessment of an 87% chance.