Japan cancels many flights to earthquake-hit areas

Japanese domestic airlines have canceled flights to and from airports in areas affected by the earthquake.

All Nippon Airways said it had canceled 15 flights and Japan Airlines canceled nine flights on January 1 to earthquake-affected areas in central Japan. In addition, Noto Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture, which was shaken by a 7.6 magnitude earthquake yesterday, has been closed, further disrupting traffic in the area. Another airport in Ishikawa Prefecture, Komatsu, will reopen today to Haneda, Tokyo.

Railway companies also suspended services to the quake-hit areas yesterday. Expressways to the Hokuriku region and Shinkansen services to and from Ishikawa were also suspended for adjustments. This morning, after the Japan Meteorological Agency lifted all tsunami warnings issued following yesterday's series of earthquakes, some bullet train routes resumed.

The Japan Meteorological Agency's tsunami warning levels issued yesterday: purple means "major tsunami warning", red means "tsunami warning", yellow means "tsunami possible" and blue means "may be affected". Photo: JMA

Japan was hit by 155 earthquakes on January 1, mostly in the western region, the strongest of which was a 7.6-magnitude quake in Ishikawa Prefecture. The series of tremors occurred on New Year's Day, when millions of Japanese visit shrines and temples to pray for good luck. The Ishikawa Prefectural Police Department reported at least eight deaths. Local authorities also reported injuries and collapsed buildings in five prefectures: Ishikawa, Niigata, Fukui, Toyama and Gifu.

A person praying for good luck at the Keta Shrine in Hakui, Kanazawa City, a popular tourist destination in Ishikawa, said the scene was “very scary” as the shrine continued to shake. The shrine gate collapsed, and people gathered around it with worried faces.

The ancient village of Shirakawago, a famous tourist destination in Gifu Prefecture, is also one of the five central prefectures affected by the earthquake, but was fortunately almost unaffected.

The gate of Keta Shrine in Kanazawa city, Ishikawa prefecture, collapsed during the earthquake. Photo: Reuters

According to experts, the impact of the earthquake could be very widespread, affecting transportation and communications. The Japanese royal family canceled the New Year's ceremony at the Tokyo Imperial Palace due to the earthquake in Ishikawa.

Coastal areas in Niigata, Toyama and Ishikawa are on high alert and residents are being urged to evacuate. The Japanese government has stressed the importance of moving to higher ground and as far away from the coast as possible to avoid the risk of a tsunami.

Noto Airport in Ishikawa Prefecture. Photo: Flickr

Four major telecom carriers, NTT Docomo, KDDI, Softbank and Rakuten Mobile, have launched a disaster bulletin board system. Users can share their safety status via text messages.

In 2023, domestic tourism in Japan will recover to near pre-pandemic levels. According to the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the number of international visitors to Japan in October reached 2.5 million, the first month after the pandemic to exceed pre-pandemic levels. In the first 10 months of the year, Japan welcomed 20 million international visitors. In 2019, the country welcomed 31.8 million.

Anh Minh (According to Skift )

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