Fears of a looming disaster are rippling through the Kyushu region, with hotels reporting a surge in cancellations and events being abruptly called off after a magnitude 7.1 quake last week led Japan to issue its first ever megaquake alert along the Nankai Trough.
The tourism industry in the city of Nichinan in Miyazaki Prefecture — known for its beaches and Edo Period townscape — is feeling the impact of the cancellations as the region hit hardest by Thursday's quake.
A representative of the city’s tourist association, said that although he can't be sure of the exact numbers, the hotel cancellations have been “quite significant.”