A busy stretch of road in the Japanese city of Fukuoka has been reopened just days after the sudden emergence of a giant sinkhole which threatened to topple nearby buildings.

The massive hole – which was roughly half the size of an Olympic swimming pool – opened up during construction work on the city's underground network.

In typical Japanese fashion, an earnest apology was issued immediately for the disruption, and a group of men put to work around the clock to clear up the mess.