Officials from the Land and Transport Ministry in Japan mentioned that no aircraft were nearby when the bomb exploded at Miyazaki Airport in southwestern Japan. An investigation by the Self-Defense Forces and police confirms the explosion was caused by a 500-pound U.S. bomb, and there is no further threat. They are working to determine what triggered the sudden detonation.
Blast sending asphalt debris into the air
Footage captured by a nearby aviation school shows the blast sending asphalt debris into the air. Television reports show a crater about 7 meters wide and 1 meter deep on the taxiway.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi notes that over 80 flights were canceled, with the airport aiming to resume operations by Thursday morning.
Miyazaki Airport, built in 1943 as an Imperial Japanese Navy flight training field, was used by kamikaze pilots for suicide missions. Defence ministry officials report that unexploded bombs from World War II, dropped by the US military, have been discovered in the area. Hundreds of tonnes of such bombs remain buried across Japan, often found during construction.
Throughout Japan, hundreds of tons of unexploded bombs from the war remain buried and are occasionally uncovered at construction sites.
US bombs in Japan
Several unexploded bombs from World War II, dropped by the US military, have been uncovered in Japan, according to Defence Ministry officials. These bombs are frequently found at construction sites, with hundreds of tons still buried across the country.
Miyazaki Airport temporarily closed its runway after an explosion created a 7-meter-wide and 1-meter-deep crater on a taxiway. A bomb disposal team from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force confirmed that the explosion was caused by an American bomb likely buried during a wartime air raid.
No injuries were reported, but live footage showed a plane taxiing nearby just two minutes before the explosion, as per local broadcaster MRT. The incident has grounded 87 flights, but repairs are expected to be completed by Thursday morning, according to government spokesperson Yoshimasa Hayashi.
Flights from JAL, ANA, and other airlines connecting Miyazaki to cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka have been affected. Miyazaki Airport, located on the southeast end of Kyushu island, was once a Japanese navy base and is known for its history with kamikaze pilots.
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