For hotel operators and other tourism businesses in Japan, the Bon holiday period is usually one of their busiest weeks. But this year it is a different story. Many are being hit by mass cancelations after experts warned of a potential mega-quake off the country’s southwestern coast.
Officials at Japan’s Meteorological Agency issued the advisory last Thursday after a magnitude-7.1 quake occurred off the coast of Miyazaki Prefecture.
They said that jolt had somewhat increased the risk of a massive earthquake striking somewhere along the Nankai Trough, which runs from Shizuoka Prefecture west of Tokyo down to the southern tip of Kyushu.
The Dogo Onsen hot spring resort in the city of Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, recently reopened its doors after a long period of repairs and renovations. Staff at the hotel say they have had more than 200 cancelations.
A hotel operator says: “You can see the cancelations here in red. It’s really tough to have something like this happen in August.”
Sado Masakazu splashed out to renovate his guest rooms, spending about 100 million yen. He says: “We’re making sure that our guests will be safe even if a quake does hit. So people should know they can come and enjoy Dogo Onsen without worrying.”
In Kochi Prefecture the Yosakoi dance festival is a big drawcard for tourists in the summer season.
But organizers say more than 9,400 people have pulled out, putting a dent in sales amounting to about 143 million yen.
The mega-quake advisory is also hitting businesses that thrive on beach crowds.
Authorities in Shizuoka Prefecture’s Nishi-izu town have closed two out of their nine swimming beaches because they don’t have enough lifeguards to patrol them. Lifeguards are asking people to cooperate by evacuating quickly in the event of a quake.
At beaches that remain open, people are being urged to take extra care. One of the holiday makers says, “I’m a bit worried about it, so I’m not swimming out very far.”
Officials have not detected any unusual changes around the Nankai Trough since last Thursday. They say their advisory does not mean that a quake will necessarily occur in the coming weeks, but that people should remain on guard.