Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan reopened Thursday morning, just a day after a World War II bomb, buried near the runway, exploded and caused the cancellation of 87 flights. The explosion occurred Wednesday morning, shortly before 8 a.m. local time, when air traffic controllers noticed smoke rising from the area. The Japan Ground Self-Defense Force confirmed that the bomb was an American ordnance, buried since the war.
The force’s statement explained that the bomb had been underground for decades. The blast left an oval-shaped crater about 7 meters (23 feet) wide, 4 meters long, and 1 meter (3 feet) deep on the taxiway near the runway.
Footage captured by a nearby aviation school shows debris flying into the air, with pieces of asphalt showering down like a fountain. Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident, but over 80 flights were canceled due to the temporary airport closure, affecting both domestic and international travel.
Flight Cancellations and Rapid Restoration
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshimasa Hayashi, confirmed that by Wednesday afternoon, 87 flights had been cancelled. The cancellations affected major airlines, including Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA), disrupting routes between Miyazaki and cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka.
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Repairs to the damaged taxiway were completed overnight, allowing operations to resume on Thursday morning. The first flight to depart was a Japan Airlines service to Fukuoka at 7:40 a.m. local time, according to local reports. Hayashi also assured that there was no further risk of explosions at the site.
Originally built in 1943, Miyazaki Airport in Miyazaki Prefecture served as a flight training base for the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II. The airport played a crucial role in training pilots, including those who participated in “kamikaze” suicide missions in the war’s final stages. These missions involved young Japanese pilots deliberately crashing planes loaded with explosives into enemy ships in a desperate attempt to hinder the advancing Allied forces.
The airport’s ties to World War II continue to present challenges today. According to Japan’s Ministry of Defence, unexploded ordnance from the war has been found at the site multiple times. In recent years, bombs have been uncovered during construction, requiring immediate disposal by the Self-Defence Forces.
The transport ministry noted, “Hundreds of tons of unexploded bombs from World War II remain buried across Japan.” Even after 79 years since the war’s end, the threat persists. In 2023 alone, the Self-Defence Forces disposed of 2,348 bombs, totaling 37.5 tonnes.
Today, Miyazaki Airport functions as a civilian airport, serving both domestic and international routes. Major carriers, including Japan Airlines, Solaseed Air, and All Nippon Airways, operate from the airport, offering flights to destinations like Osaka, Tokyo, Fukuoka, as well as international locations such as Taiwan and South Korea. The airport is equipped with a 2,500-meter runway and a single terminal.
