A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan’s Chugoku region on the morning of January 6 has rippled through the country’s transport networks, triggering hours of disruption for rail passengers, road users and air travelers.

While authorities reported no tsunami and no widespread, life-threatening damage, the inland quake centered in eastern Shimane Prefecture led to service suspensions on the Sanyo Shinkansen, delays on key conventional rail lines, local road closures and flight schedule changes across western Honshu just as business and leisure travelers were on the move.

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Quake Strikes Transport Hub of Western Honshu

The earthquake hit at around 10:18 a.m. local time in eastern Shimane Prefecture, registering a magnitude of 6.4 at a shallow depth of roughly 10 kilometers according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The strongest shaking on Japan’s seven-level seismic intensity scale reached upper 5 in cities including Matsue in Shimane and Sakaiminato in neighboring Tottori, with tremors felt widely across the broader Chugoku region, which encompasses Shimane, Tottori, Okayama, Hiroshima and Yamaguchi.

The inland epicenter placed the quake squarely beneath one of Japan’s key domestic travel corridors. The Chugoku region forms a critical land bridge between the Kansai metropolitan area around Osaka and Kyoto and the major urban and industrial centers of Hiroshima and Fukuoka further west.

The Sanyo Shinkansen high-speed line, JR West’s conventional rail network, and the San’in coastal routes all converge in this zone, alongside the Chugoku Expressway and a dense lattice of national highways.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency reported a sequence of aftershocks following the initial temblor, including quakes measured in the mid-5 range late in the morning. Seismologists warned that further quakes of similar intensity could not be ruled out for about a week, prompting rail and road operators to maintain heightened safety checks through the rest of the day and into the coming days.

Local officials in Shimane and Tottori confirmed several minor injuries, mostly from falls or objects tumbling indoors, along with damage reports that included cracked walls, fallen roof tiles and localized road surface fissures. The nuclear regulator said there were no abnormalities at the Shimane nuclear power plant, but transport operators moved quickly to halt or slow services pending track, tunnel and bridge inspections.

Sanyo Shinkansen Suspension Strands Thousands

The most immediate and high-profile disruption for travelers came on the Sanyo Shinkansen, the bullet train artery that links Osaka with Hiroshima, Yamaguchi and onward to Kyushu.

West Japan Railway Company (JR West) temporarily suspended services between Okayama and Hiroshima following a power outage and automatic safety shutdown triggered by the shaking. Trains already in motion were brought to emergency stops along the line while staff conducted safety checks.

JR West later said that operations resumed early in the afternoon, but with significant residual delays and a number of partial cancellations as crews repositioned trainsets and worked through congestion. Passengers reported being stuck on trains for more than an hour between stations as crew awaited clearance to proceed, while stations in Okayama, Fukuyama and Hiroshima saw growing crowds as mid-morning and lunchtime departures were canceled or merged.

The disruption came at a busy time for business travelers, students returning after the New Year holidays and tourists heading toward Hiroshima and Yamaguchi for winter trips. At major interchange hubs such as Shin-Osaka and Okayama, travelers scrambled to rebook seats on later departures or shift to conventional rail and highway bus services, only to find those modes also affected.

Onboard announcements emphasized that the suspensions were precautionary and part of standard earthquake protocols. Japan’s bullet train system is designed to halt automatically when seismic sensors detect strong shaking, and trains typically do not resume higher-speed operations until track patrols and remote monitoring systems confirm that infrastructure is intact. Even after services resumed between Hiroshima and Okayama, train speeds were initially reduced on certain segments as an added safeguard.

Conventional Rail Network Grapples With Inspections and Power Cuts

The quake’s epicenter closer to the Sea of Japan coastline brought particularly acute disruption to the San’in Main Line and other local and rapid services along the northern flank of the Chugoku region. JR West temporarily suspended operations on sections of lines through Shimane and Tottori for detailed track, embankment and overhead line inspections after reports of strong shaking and localized power outages.

Services on the Geibi and Fukuen lines in eastern Hiroshima Prefecture, as well as parts of the Hakubi Line that cuts through the Chugoku Mountains between Okayama and Tottori, also experienced delays or partial suspensions. Railway officials cited both automated safety stoppages triggered by seismic sensors and the need to visually inspect tunnels, bridges and viaducts for any subtle misalignments or structural issues that might not be immediately evident.

In cities closer to the epicenter, including Matsue and Yonago, commuters and travelers experienced crowded platforms and packed trains once services slowly resumed. Local governments opened public buildings and community centers as temporary rest areas for those stranded near stations, though the majority of rail lines were able to restart limited operations by late afternoon.

Private rail and tram operations in Hiroshima and Okayama reported more modest disruption, with short-term service suspensions during the heaviest shaking but relatively quick resumptions once safety checks were complete. Urban tram lines, which run at lower speeds and over shorter distances, tend to be less vulnerable to major structural damage, although operators still halted services for inspections immediately after the quake.

Highways, Local Roads and Buses Face Knock-on Delays

On the roads, the Chugoku Expressway and several other major expressways and national routes experienced temporary closures of selected sections as highway authorities conducted emergency inspections of bridges, tunnels and slopes. Short-term closure points were reported in parts of Shimane and Tottori, as well as in sections of Hiroshima Prefecture where the shaking was rated at lower but still notable intensity.

Camera and patrol inspections focused particularly on older bridges, elevated roadways and hillside cuttings prone to small rockfalls. In at least one location in Tottori Prefecture, local police reported cracks forming in the road surface, prompting lane closures and speed restrictions while engineers assessed the extent of the damage.

Motorists in the wider region faced stop-and-go traffic and detours even where no physical damage was ultimately confirmed, due in part to precautionary speed limits and the heavy spike in vehicles as some travelers abandoned rail plans.

Highway bus services connecting Hiroshima, Okayama, Matsue and Tottori initially suspended departures in the late morning as companies awaited status updates on highway closures and interchange access.

Several afternoon services ran on revised timetables, arriving one to two hours behind schedule. Local city and community bus networks in affected municipalities reported more modest disruptions, mostly in the form of delays and minor route diversions.

Rental car counters at rail hubs including Hiroshima, Okayama and Yonago saw a rush of last-minute bookings from passengers seeking alternative means to reach appointments or accommodation.

However, operators warned that driving conditions could remain challenging on mountain roads and rural routes overnight, especially if aftershocks prompted further inspections or temporary closures.

Airports Remain Operational but Flight Schedules Shift

Air services across the Chugoku region and nearby areas continued operating, but several flights were delayed or re-timed as airlines navigated both the quake’s immediate impact and the cascade of knock-on effects from rail and road disruption.

Airports such as Hiroshima, Yonago Kitaro (serving Tottori and Shimane), Iwami and Okayama reported brief checks of runways, taxiways and terminal facilities following the strongest shaking.

Airport operators said there were no significant structural issues detected, and runways remained open throughout the day. However, some domestic carriers delayed departures to wait for passengers held up on disrupted trains and roads, while a handful of inbound flights from Tokyo and Osaka requested short holding patterns as air traffic controllers confirmed that ground operations and fuel supply facilities were unaffected.

Travelers connecting from international flights via major hubs like Osaka’s Kansai International Airport and Fukuoka also encountered uncertainty as domestic connections into the Chugoku region were rescheduled. Airline staff at transfer counters were seen rebooking passengers onto later flights or rerouting them through alternative airports with better ground access.

Airport buses and rail links connecting terminals to city centers added another layer of complexity. Delayed or canceled airport buses in Hiroshima and Okayama, combined with slower or suspended rail services, left some arriving passengers facing longer waits or the need for taxis and rideshare services, which quickly became scarce during the midday disruption.

Tourists and Local Travelers Confront Unplanned Itineraries

Domestic tourists, foreign visitors and local residents alike found their travel plans suddenly upended as the morning quake rippled through transport schedules. Popular destinations such as Matsue Castle, the Adachi Museum of Art, the San’in coastal hot spring resorts and Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park all reported cancellations or late arrivals for tours and hotel check-ins.

In Matsue and surrounding cities, some sightseeing facilities temporarily closed for safety checks, particularly where older structures or stone walls might have been affected by shaking. Staff at hotels and ryokan in Shimane and Tottori told local media that guests arrived later than expected or called to push back stays by a day as they waited for transport options to stabilize.

Foreign tourists, many of whom rely on rail passes and tight itineraries, faced difficult decisions as bullet train suspensions cascaded into missed connections further down the line.

Social media posts from stations in Osaka, Hiroshima and Okayama described long but orderly queues at ticket counters, with JR staff switching passengers to alternative routes or refunding reserved seat charges where services were canceled.

Travel agencies and online booking platforms contacted customers with planned departures through western Honshu, advising them to build in additional transit time and monitor operator announcements closely over the next several days. With seismologists warning of the possibility of further strong tremors, tour companies said they were revisiting plans for excursions that relied heavily on long mountain rail segments or remote bus routes.

Authorities Emphasize Safety as Transport Gradually Recovers

National and local authorities repeatedly stressed that traveler safety would remain the paramount concern as rail, road and air operators worked to normalize services.

Japan’s earthquake early warning system, which sends alerts to phones and public broadcast systems seconds before major shaking arrives, functioned across much of the region, giving some trains and road traffic a brief but valuable window to slow down.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters in Tokyo that the central government was coordinating with prefectural officials and transport operators to assess damage and ensure that inspections were thorough before normal schedules resumed.

The Japan Meteorological Agency urged residents and travelers in areas that experienced strong shaking to remain vigilant for about a week, particularly in multi-story buildings where long-period ground motion can prolong swaying.

Rail operators said that even after primary inspections cleared tracks and structures for use, secondary checks and monitoring would continue for days. Short, unannounced service suspensions or speed reductions remain possible as new data on ground movement and structural responses are analyzed.

Highway authorities issued similar cautions, particularly regarding mountain passes, river crossings and slopes that might be destabilized by repeated aftershocks.

For airlines and airports, the main focus in the hours after the quake shifted from physical safety checks to passenger flow management. With no damage to runways or control facilities reported, aviation authorities said they expected flight operations to stabilize more quickly than land transport, but they warned that missed rail connections and congested highways would continue to ripple through passenger loads and check-in times for at least the rest of the day.

What Travelers Need to Know: Practical Guidance

For travelers currently in or heading toward the Chugoku region, officials and transport operators recommend building in additional time, staying flexible with routes and keeping a close eye on real-time updates from rail, highway and airline channels.

Travelers with non-essential journeys through the most affected municipalities of Shimane and Tottori are being encouraged to consider postponement or route changes until after the peak aftershock window.

On the rail network, passengers are advised to expect lingering delays even where lines have officially reopened. JR West has warned that trains may be crowded and that some services could be canceled at short notice if fresh inspections are needed after aftershocks. Travelers using rail passes should check at station information counters for permitted alternative routings and, where necessary, for assistance with rebooking reserved seats on later trains.

Drivers are urged to monitor roadside message boards and local broadcasters for updates on expressway closures, lane restrictions and speed limits. In rural areas of Shimane and Tottori, where narrow roads hug steep slopes or coastal cliffs, authorities caution against nighttime travel where visibility is poor and rockfall risks can be harder to spot. Car renters are being reminded to refuel earlier than usual, in case detours or closures force longer-than-expected drives.

At airports, passengers connecting onto domestic flights into Hiroshima, Yonago, Iwami or Okayama are told to allow extra time when transiting from rail or road and to check departure status frequently.

Those arriving in the region and continuing onward by rail might consider securing backup options such as highway buses, shared shuttles or revised itineraries that overnight near hub cities instead of pressing onward the same day.

FAQ

Q1. Where exactly did the 6.4-magnitude earthquake occur in Japan’s Chugoku region?
The quake was centered in eastern Shimane Prefecture in western Honshu, with strong shaking also recorded in neighboring Tottori and felt across wider parts of the Chugoku region, including portions of Hiroshima and Okayama.

Q2. Were there any tsunami warnings or coastal evacuations after the quake?
No tsunami warning was issued. Because the earthquake was inland and relatively shallow, the Japan Meteorological Agency stated that there was no risk of a tsunami along nearby coasts.

Q3. How badly were Shinkansen bullet train services affected?
Sections of the Sanyo Shinkansen between Okayama and Hiroshima were temporarily suspended after the quake due to power outages and automatic safety shutdowns. Services later resumed but with significant residual delays and some cancellations while infrastructure inspections were completed.

Q4. Are conventional local and rapid trains in Shimane and Tottori running normally now?
Most conventional lines gradually resumed operations after track and bridge inspections, but passengers continue to face delays, occasional cancellations and crowded trains. Operators caution that further disruptions are possible if strong aftershocks occur.

Q5. What is the situation on major highways and local roads in the affected area?
Highways such as the Chugoku Expressway experienced temporary closures of certain sections for safety inspections. While many stretches have reopened, some routes still have speed restrictions, lane closures or detours where minor road damage or rockfall risks were identified.

Q6. Are airports in the Chugoku region open and are flights operating?
Airports including Hiroshima, Yonago Kitaro, Iwami and Okayama remain open and operational. Some domestic flights have been delayed or rescheduled to accommodate passengers affected by rail and road disruption, but there have been no reports of runway or terminal damage.

Q7. Is it safe for tourists to continue their trips in western Honshu right now?
Authorities have not ordered broad evacuations and most tourist infrastructure remains intact, but travelers are advised to stay informed, allow extra travel time and follow local guidance on aftershock risks, particularly in older buildings and mountainous areas.

Q8. How long could transport disruptions from this earthquake last?
Primary inspections were completed within hours, allowing many services to resume the same day. However, seismologists warn of potential strong aftershocks for about a week, so intermittent slowdowns, checks and schedule changes are possible over the coming days.

Q9. What should travelers do if their train or bus is canceled because of the quake?
Passengers should speak with station or bus terminal staff about alternative routes, refunds or rebookings. In Japan, operators typically offer seat changes or fare adjustments when services are canceled for safety reasons, though cash compensation for delays is rare.

Q10. How can foreign visitors stay updated on the latest transport and safety information?
Foreign visitors are encouraged to monitor official announcements from rail companies, highway operators and local governments, use real-time transit apps where available, and check with hotel front desks or tourism information centers, which often provide multilingual updates during major events.