Just last Tuesday morning (Nov. 8), a large sinkhole opened in downtown Fukuoka, at an intersection near a major railway station in the city centre.

【博多駅前の道路陥没 影響広がる】

８日朝、福岡市のＪＲ博多駅前の市道で起きた大規模な陥没で、停電やガスの供給が停止されるなどしていて影響が広がっています。 https://t.co/HdMDks4mgi pic.twitter.com/hEXZEjpcB3

— ＮＨＫ生活・防災 (@nhk_seikatsu) November 8, 2016

And at 5am local time (4am Singapore time) today, it was reopened for public use  -- exactly one week after the ground under the public's feet collapsed.

Apparently, the massive sinkhole, which measured around 30 metres wide and 15 metres deep, was patched up in just two days; Japanese workers had laboured round the clock to fill the sinkhole, which required 6,200 cubic metres of sand and cement.

Talk about Japanese efficiency.

Despite the rapid work done, safety checks pushed back the reopening of the road -- an absolutely necessity, in any case. Now determined to be safe for use again, the road is reportedly "30 times stronger than before".

The sinkhole was thought to be caused by water flowing into tunnels at a nearby construction site. Remarkably, the sinkhole did not devour anyone, nor did it cause any injuries.

Fukuoka is the largest and busiest city on Kyushu, the southernmost main island of Japan.

Top image adapted from here and here.

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