Japan Earthquake: Airports Closed, U.S. State Department Advises Against Traveling To Japan

UPDATE:

The Agence France Presse reports that Chilean authorities said residents on Easter Island, a famed tourist spot roughly 2,200 miles away from mainland, are being evacuated to higher points. Meanwhile waves roughly 2 feet high hit the coastal areas of Mexico's Baja Coast, and tourists in the popular towns of Los Cabos and Acapulco were told to stay inside their hotels far from the beaches.

PREVIOUSLY:

Following the earthquake in Japan, the U.S. State Department "strongly urges U.S. citizens to avoid tourism and non-essential travel to Japan" through April 1.

The State Department notes that "Tokyo airports are currently closed; other airports in Japan may be closed or have restricted access. Public transportation, including trains and subways are closed in the Tokyo area, and service has been interrupted in other areas as well. Many roads have been damaged in Tokyo and in northern Japan. Strong aftershocks are likely for weeks following a strong earthquake such as this one." (*SEE PHOTOS & VIDEO BELOW*)

Honolulu International Airport is still open, but airports on Maui, Kauai and the Big Island have been closed and Continental, American and Delta are waiving change fees for affected passengers, according to BBC Today. Earlier on Friday, Hawaiian hotels started "vertical evacuations" on the shoreline.

MSNBC reports that roughly 13,000 people are stranded at Tokyo's Narita Airport and 10,000 people are stranded at Haneda Airport.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle Delta has canceled 29 flights (out of their 60 daily flights) to and from Narita and Haneda airports.

Meanwhile, inside the Delta Sky Lounge on Friday morning at Narita Airport, CNN iReporter Richard Dong filmed the massive earthquake from inside.

BBC Travel reports that Google has already created a 2011 Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Crisis Resource Center complete with emergency contact information and person find tool.

WATCH chilling video the tsunami passing through Sendai airport below:

See photos of stranded passengers at airports and train stations below.

• • • • • • • • Travelers rest on the floor stranded at the Haneda international airport in Tokyo after a massive earthquake Friday, March 11, 2011. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

Comments

[Lora Sharnoff]

10:19 AM on 03/21/2011

This article is ridiculous, alarmist, and poorly researched. The Tokyo transportation system was closed only on he evening of the big earthquake, March 11. I have been on the trains in Tokyo several times since the second day after the big quake. Moreover, I have received e-mail from the US Embassy noting that all major Japanese airports are open, except for the one in hardhit Sendai.

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

06:49 PM on 03/12/2011

and the state department's largest bureau--that being the one in charge of closing the barn door after the horse has left-- issues another meaningless message.

[KIVPossum]

10:23 PM on 03/11/2011

...Shakes World Travel???

How bout shakes travel to Japan.

[sunbeltvoter]

11:03 PM on 03/11/2011

Travel to Asia much? Half the passengers on the dozens of daily jumbo jets are not going to Japan, they are connecting to Singapore or Bangkok or Shanghai at Tokyo-Narita or Osaka airports from flights originating all over the US. Narita is like the Atlanta of Asia, a giant transfer hub. So yes travel to a large part of the world is screwed up and will be for days or weeks.

[TurtleFace]

09:17 PM on 03/11/2011

This is really not the best timing for Japan to have an earthquake and for travel to be stopped -- it's Cherry blossom season and that means a lot of people will miss the blooms unless they travel to colder areas to see them.
http://www.experts123.com/t/travel.html

[levresamant]

05:06 AM on 03/12/2011

I would imagine the cherry blossom season and tourism it creates is the last thing on the minds of people whose country is literally devastated.

[Lora Sharnoff]

07:44 AM on 04/18/2011

First of all, not all of Japan has been devastated. Most of the damage and deaths have been concentrated in three northern prefectures: Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima. As a matter, after such devastation, people in general tend to get cheered up by the beauty of the cherry blossoms. Moreover, although tourism may not have been on many people's minds at first in Japan, now that over a month has passed since the big earthquake, the sharp decrease in the number of tourists has been showing dire economic effects.

[John U Aquino]

08:28 PM on 03/12/2011

I think that maybe the affects on cherry blossoms and tourism are the last thing the people in the country of Japan are thinking right now.

In time, I am sure that the country will take a look at the economic impact but right now I think that the country is probably dealing with a lot of trauma.

[TXfemmom]

04:44 PM on 03/11/2011

This quake at the airport was nothing compared to the one at the other location and then the tsunami hit.  It is difficult to imagine what the people felt like there.

[British Pixie]

03:14 PM on 03/11/2011

Hey All

I Know The Economy Is Tough Everywhere and Money Is Rather Tight
For Many, But Please; If You Can -GIVE To Your Local RED CROSS To
Aid In The Fight To SAVE LIVES RIGHT NOW In Japan. As This Is Being
Typed, People Are Dying Horribly By Drowning In The Heavy Flood Waters,
Caused By The Tsunami, From Injuries Suffered From The MASSIVE 8.9 Earthquake, Or From On Going Fires. ANYTHING You Can Do To Help Will Make A Difference -BELIEVE ME. I Was
Involved With The Red Cross UK and Greenpeace UK As Part Of The Rescue Team Dispatched To Haiti In Early 2010. I Saw First Hand What The Contributions Did In Helping The People Of Port Au Prince.

Here's A Link To The RED CROSS Disaster Newsroom Feed For Updates In Japan and Other Areas, And The Current Events Going On Right Now In The Rescue Efforts By The Courageous Men And Women Who Risk Their Lives To Help Others In Need.

Thank You & God Bless.

•.¸¸.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.♥ ~Jennia

http://newsroom.redcross.org/

[scalscott]

03:12 PM on 03/11/2011

"State Department advises against travel to Japan", duh!

[Laxsmi de Potrero]

06:47 PM on 03/12/2011

well, they have to pretend to be doing something, since there is no diplomacy going on at foggy bottom.

[Sonyx575]

02:52 PM on 03/11/2011

I hope the "iReporter" got paid for that footage. It really shocking to see the ferocity of the quake and I'm sure Dong could have gotten money for that video.