World War II ended almost eighty years ago, but these days it’s talked about in Japan like Emperor Hirohito in his prime. And rightly so. The remnants of the conflict caused great fear there; This led to a wild explosion, a crater seven meters in diameter, a closed airport, police in revolution and the cancellation of dozens of flights.

After all, 80 years may seem like a lot, but it’s not enough to erase the remnants of the war in Japan. It’s not even in memory. It’s not even underground.

It scared Miyazaki. Miyazaki Airport, in southeastern Japan, is mainly dedicated to domestic flights and other destinations in Asia such as Taipei or Seoul. But on Wednesday, it made news of something that had nothing to do with its operations, the volume of passengers or the freight traffic it carries. Part of one of the landing strips was blown away, leaving a large hole one meter deep and seven meters in diameter that was perfectly visible from the air.

So what caused this? Incredible as it may seem, this was due to World War II. Or rather, his legacy. As officials would later confirm, the crater was caused by a 500-pound (about 220 kilograms) American bomb that was buried at the bottom of the terminal. The explosive was buried beneath the tarmac of the track and remained there for almost 80 years with no one remembering it or realizing its existence. Until Wednesday, of course.

What made it explode? This is what the Japanese military and police are currently investigating, who have confirmed that the bomb is of American origin and have assured that there is no longer any danger in the area. What we do know, thanks to video from an aviation school near the runway, is that the explosion was of that caliber and pieces of asphalt were blown into the air. It and Miyazaki airfield opened as Japanese Navy facilities in 1943 and served as a base for kamikaze missions. In fact, a few years ago a group of former pilots of the Imperial Navy proposed establishing a museum that would remind the airport of its past.

More than 80 flights were stopped. What happened to Miyazaki was more than just horror. Although there were no injuries and the Government assured that there were no aircraft nearby when the bomb exploded, the incident was serious enough that the authorities decided to close the runways and cancel flights. A total of 87 operations affected more than 3,400 passengers, according to Reuters.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi was confident that the Miyazaki terminal could reopen and return to normal on Thursday. He stated that there was no danger of a second explosion and that police and fire teams were investigating the scene. Even a special bomb disposal team from the Self-Defense Forces was used to verify the source of the explosive.

Is it an exceptional situation? Completely. Such explosions are not common, but this is not the first time that an explosive from World War II has caused fear in the 21st century. Recently, while digging a hole, workers at a school in the Solomon Islands came across an old arsenal containing more than 200 rusty shells, and during construction work in the spring, another half-ton bomb from the Second World War was found. In Mainz, Germany. Another similar device appeared in Florida.

The BBC notes that unexploded US explosives were already found near Miyazaki airport between 2009 and 2011. Although it has been 79 years since Japan surrendered after World War II, old unexploded bombs from that period continue to be removed in the country as a legacy of air raids. 37.5 tons of explosives were destroyed in 2023 alone.

Pictures | Hideyuki Kamon (Flickr) and Greg Goebel (Flickr)

in Xataka | Scissors disappeared from an airport in Japan. Hours later, 36 flights were canceled and 201 flights were delayed