Japan’s recent megaquake advisory has caused a surge in hotel cancellations across high-risk areas, significantly impacting businesses during what was expected to be a peak season, hoteliers reported on Tuesday.
Last week, Japan’s weather agency issued a rare advisory following a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the south, which injured at least 15 people. This unprecedented warning does not indicate an imminent massive quake but does raise concerns about an increased risk of such an event.
The advisory targets the “Nankai Trough,” an 800-kilometer (500-mile) undersea fault zone stretching from Shizuoka, west of Tokyo, to Kyushu island’s southern tip.
In western Kochi, one of the areas predicted to be most affected, approximately 9,400 hotel bookings have been canceled since the alert was issued. This has resulted in an estimated revenue loss of around 140 million yen ($948,000) from August 9 to 18, according to Susumu Nishitani, a local hotel union representative.
The timing of the warning coincides with Japan’s annual “obon” holiday, a peak travel period when many Japanese people visit their hometowns to honor their ancestors. “Typically, our city’s hotels and inns would be fully booked during this period,” Nishitani noted.
Further cancellations are anticipated in Matsuyama city’s Dogo Onsen, a famous hot spring that inspired Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed film “Spirited Away,” NHK reported.
The megaquake advisory is expected to be lifted on Thursday if no significant seismic activity is detected, according to local media. Nishitani expressed hope that new bookings might begin to emerge once the warning is removed.
