Japan Earthquake, Trains Stopped at the Airport: What Now?

The plane lands, you switch on your phone, and the screen says earthquake alert and "all lines suspended." After a strong earthquake in Japan, trains may stop while railways inspect their lines, and how soon they restart depends on what they find. Queues at the airport taxi rank and information desks can grow quickly. Knowing where to look and who to call first makes it much easier to decide whether to wait for the trains or go by road.

Trains stopped after an earthquake: check three places first

• Earthquake and tsunami information: the Japan Meteorological Agency. JNTO's Safety Tips app pushes earthquake and tsunami alerts, so it is worth installing before you fly.
• A 24-hour multilingual hotline: the JNTO visitor hotline, 050-3816-2787 (+81-50-3816-2787 from overseas), every day of the year, in English, Chinese and Korean; see JNTO hotline.
• Whether roads are closed: JARTIC, the Japan Road Traffic Information Center, where expressway closures and reopenings are published.

When trains will restart is for the rail operators and the airport to announce, and staff instructions on the spot come first.

Expressways close for inspection too

It is natural to assume that if the trains stop, you can just take a car. But roads are inspected after a strong quake as well. After the earthquake at 23:15 on 8 December 2025, NEXCO East Japan closed several sections for emergency inspection. The Doo Expressway between Shiraoi IC and Shin-Chitose Airport IC, the road to the airport, reopened at 03:10 on 9 December once confirmed safe, while sections in Aomori were still being inspected (see the NEXCO East Japan notice).

So a car is not a guaranteed way out. What it gives you is the ability to leave as soon as the road reopens, without waiting for the railway to restart section by section. When roads are open, our team will confirm the pickup point and time; if they are not, we will tell you plainly.

Haneda and Narita need different fallback plans

The two airports sit at very different distances from central Tokyo. Haneda is about 15 to 25 km away, roughly 30 to 45 minutes on a normal day; Narita is about 60 to 75 km, roughly 60 to 90 minutes (traffic permitting). For a full comparison, see Narita or Haneda: time and fare to the city.

• Haneda: a short run, so once roads reopen you are in the city quickly. Haneda to anywhere in Tokyo by Alphard is ¥15,000.
• Narita: a long run over more expressway, so a closure on any section affects you. Narita to anywhere in Tokyo by Alphard is ¥22,000.

Both are per car, tax included, with tolls and parking included and the same fare across Tokyo; other destinations are under private transfers from Haneda and private transfers from Narita. During disruption, journeys can take far longer than usual, so allow plenty of time.

If you already have a pickup booked

We wait free for 90 minutes after landing (see how a Japan airport pickup works). If the earthquake delays your flight or diverts it to another airport, contact our team as soon as you can with the new flight number and arrival time. Disruption running late into the night is not a problem in itself: we operate 24 hours a day, with a ¥4,000 surcharge between 22:00 and 06:00.

Before you fly, save the hotline number and your accommodation's address in Japanese on your phone, and pack a power bank in your hand luggage. To book a pickup in advance, send your flight and accommodation details on the booking page.