Some of the evacuees felt relieved even though they just arrived at the airport.

A Chinese national said, "Being together with them, I feel much safer. Now I just want to get on board the flight as soon as possible and then head home."

A complete evacuation could take time owing to a lack of transport and fuel. China's embassy in Japan is organizing the operation.

Cheng Yonghua, Chinese Ambassador to Japan, said, "The Japanese government has given us a special permit for petrol use. As of the current situation, I'm not exactly optimistic. There were many Chinese living in the coastal areas in Japan. We must do all we can to search for them."

Airline companies have also stepped up efforts to help evacuation efforts.

On Wednesday, flights have been taken off from cities around China to Japan, with more than 26,000 seats available to fetch back frightened Chinese.