The American bombing left a huge hole in Miyazaki Airport, leading to the cancellation of nearly 90 flights.
An American bombing, possibly during World War II, forced the closure of a regional airport in Japan.
An improvised explosive device exploded near the runway of Miyazaki Airport on the southern Japanese island of Kyushu on Wednesday. The explosion destroyed the runway, grounding all 87 scheduled flights for the day.
Miyazaki, which was used as a base for “kamikaze” pilots, closed its runway early Wednesday after an explosion left a hole 7 meters wide and 1 meter deep in the middle of the taxiway, an official said. of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism said.
The bomb disposal team of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force later determined that the cause of the explosion was an American bomb that had been buried underground, which may have been set off during the war, the official said.
No injuries were reported, but live camera footage showed the plane was taxiing near the site of the explosion, which was about 100 meters (109 feet) from the building, shortly before, according to local broadcaster MRT.
Government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi said the runway is expected to reopen Thursday morning after repairs to the hole are completed.
The affected flights were operated by JAL, ANA and other airlines connecting Miyazaki with cities such as Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, according to the airline’s website.
The basis of ‘Kamikaze’
Miyazaki Airport was a base for the Japanese navy from 1943 until the end of World War II, where hundreds of “kamikaze” pilots embarked on their final journey, according to the city of Miyazaki’s website.
A number of unexploded US bombs have been found at the airport, a transport ministry official said.
More than 79 years since the end of the war, unexploded bombs from the massive air raids are still found all over Japan today.
2,348 bombs weighing 37.5 tons were dropped in fiscal year 2023, the Self-Defense Forces said.
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