▲ A ryokan damaged by the Kumamoto earthquake
The strong earthquake that struck Kumamoto Prefecture late last month has dealt a heavy blow to the local tourism industry, while paralyzing transportation networks and causing delays in disaster waste disposal, spreading the damage to surrounding regions.
Local media outlets, including the Asahi Shimbun, reported today (the 10th) that approximately 65,500 lodging reservations were canceled in Kumamoto Prefecture alone from the earthquake on the 28th of last month through early this month.
The financial damage amounts to about 900 million yen, or roughly 8.1 billion won, with projections that the scale of damage will continue to grow amid fears of aftershocks.
Kumamoto Castle, a symbol of the region, also suffered collapsed stone walls, leading to a temporary suspension of public viewing. Meanwhile, accommodations in major tourist spots such as Hinagu Onsen have been forced to suspend operations, fully canceling reservations due to broken pipes, ground subsidence, and building cracks.
Massive lodging cancellations are sweeping through even areas that suffered little earthquake damage, driven by fears of aftershocks and an atmosphere of avoiding visits.
Tourist footsteps have completely dried up, with cancellations surpassing 3,600 people at Aso Farmland in the northeastern part of Kumamoto Prefecture's Minamiaso area, and over 17,000 reservations canceled across Aso City as a whole.
Damage resulting from paralyzed transportation infrastructure is also spreading to neighboring local governments.
With operations suspended on parts of the Kyushu Expressway and Kyushu Shinkansen, the tourism industries in neighboring prefectures such as Miyazaki and Kagoshima have taken a direct hit.
In the case of Kagoshima Prefecture, tourists from nearby Fukuoka Prefecture—who account for 15 percent of all overnight guests, second only to local residents—have completely stopped coming due to the severance of transportation networks.
A local hotel representative said, "With transportation links cut off, the entire region has become an island on land."
Miyazaki Prefecture has also seen about 10,000 lodging cancellations, destabilizing the tourism industry across the entire southwestern region of Kyushu.
The disposal of large quantities of disaster waste generated during recovery operations has also emerged as a difficult challenge.
Hundreds of disposal vehicles are crowding temporary storage sites, causing severe congestion with waiting times exceeding three hours.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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