Tokyo: Miyazaki Airport, in southwestern Japan, was forced to shut down after a World War II-era bomb exploded near the runway. The bomb, likely dropped during U.S. air raids aimed at preventing kamikaze attacks, created a 7-meter-wide and 1-meter-deep crater on the taxiway adjacent to the runway.
A bomb disposal unit from the Japan Ground Self-Defence Force has confirmed the news about the explosion. They said that the explosion happened by an American bomb buried beneath the surface, likely from a wartime air raid.
The explosion caused no injuries, but it led to the cancellation of 87 flights, affecting routes to major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Fukuoka according to the Japan Transport Ministry.
Miyazaki Airport was once a Japanese naval base during WWII, and remnants of unexploded ordnance (UXO) from that time are still found across the country.
Japan’s chief government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stated that repairs to fill the crater created by the explosion would be completed at the earliest. He also assured the public that there are no further risks of explosions.
Miyazaki Airport, located on the southeastern tip of Kyushu Island, played a significant role as a launching site for kamikaze missions, where young pilots conducted suicide attacks for the Japanese empire. Due to its wartime history, the area has seen the discovery of multiple unexploded bombs over the years, remnants of the intense air raids carried out during the conflict.
Even though World War II ended many decades ago, the unexploded bombs found at sites like Miyazaki Airport serve as a stark reminder of the war’s lasting impact on Japan. These relics are tangible evidence of the intense airstrikes that once targeted the country, and their discovery underscores the enduring consequences of the conflict.
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