Japan may be far from the winds of Hurricane Sandy, but all flights to and from Sendai Airport were cancelled this week after a World War II bomb was found near a runway.

The undetonated weapon was found on Monday night by construction workers drilling in the area, The Japan Daily Press reported.

Self-Defence Force were called in to remove the 110 centimetres long and 35 centimetres in diameter bomb and identified it as being made in the US and a potential dud from World War II.

Resting for more than 60 years, authorities said the explosive appeared rusty, which can make bombs prone to detonation when moved.

According to the report, finding an undetonated bomb in Japan is not unusual, with many cities across the country targeted by American bombers during the 1940s.