Typhoon Dujuan Brings Heavy Rain and Disruption to Tokyo Region
More than 1.6 million people have been urged to evacuate as rain, flooding and landslide risks intensify.
Typhoon Dujuan is approaching eastern Japan with torrential rain and strong winds, disrupting flights, rail services, public events and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s travel plans
TOKYO — Japan is facing widespread disruption as Typhoon Dujuan moves toward the country’s Pacific coast, bringing torrential rain, strong winds and an elevated risk of flooding and landslides across the Tokyo region and other parts of eastern Japan.
More than 1.6 million people in and around Tokyo were urged to evacuate as authorities prepared for potentially dangerous rainfall. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that rainfall could become exceptionally heavy, while linear rain bands could develop over the Kanto region and increase the risk of flash flooding.
The storm has already caused flooding, landslides, power outages and transport disruptions in several areas.
Evacuation Warnings Expand
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that more than 1.6 million residents across Ibaraki, Chiba, Tokyo, Kanagawa and Shizuoka prefectures were subject to evacuation orders or advisories.
The warnings reflect concerns about several different hazards rather than a single threat.
Heavy rain can overwhelm drainage systems and rivers, particularly in densely populated urban areas. Saturated hillsides can also become unstable, increasing the danger of landslides.
In Chiba Prefecture, a woman suffered minor injuries after her vehicle encountered debris from a landslide. In Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, rescue operations were underway after a landslide struck a home. Several houses in Chiba were also reported damaged.
Authorities have urged residents in areas under the highest warnings to follow local evacuation instructions and avoid dangerous roads, rivers and slopes.
Rainfall Raises Concern
The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned that the storm could produce exceptionally heavy rainfall across eastern Japan.
Some locations in the Izu Islands had already recorded more than 300 millimeters of rain in the days leading up to Monday, according to Reuters. Oshima in the Izu Islands was placed under Japan’s highest-level landslide emergency warning.
Forecasters have also warned that total rainfall through Tuesday could exceed the average amount normally recorded during the entire month of September in some areas.
The possibility of linear rain bands is particularly concerning. These narrow, persistent bands of heavy rainfall can remain over the same area for hours, producing rapid accumulation and sharply increasing flood and landslide risks.
Flights and Rail Services Disrupted
The storm has also disrupted Japan’s transportation system.
Hundreds of flights were canceled as airlines adjusted operations at airports serving the Tokyo region. Rail operators suspended some services in Tokyo and neighboring areas as high winds, flooding and safety concerns affected transportation.
Local authorities have also warned motorists to avoid unnecessary travel.
In Kamakura, south of Tokyo, flooding affected roads around the city, with officials warning that driving conditions had become dangerous.
The disruption comes during Japan’s Silver Week holiday period, when travel is normally elevated.
Events Forced to Change Plans
Dujuan has also affected major cultural and sporting events.
Organizers of the Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture postponed the equestrian eventing competition because of the approaching storm.
The Tokyo Game Show, one of Japan’s largest international gaming events, also closed earlier than planned on its final day because of the weather. Other outdoor events in the region were canceled or adjusted.
The disruptions demonstrate how quickly severe weather can affect activities far beyond the areas directly exposed to the storm.
Prime Minister’s Travel Delayed
The storm has also affected Japan’s diplomatic schedule.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was scheduled to travel to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Her departure was delayed by four hours because of the weather, with the government saying she would leave Tokyo at 11 p.m. local time.
The delay comes at a significant diplomatic moment for Takaichi, who has been seeking meetings with foreign leaders during the UN gathering.
The storm has therefore created an unusual overlap between Japan’s domestic emergency response and its international diplomatic schedule.
What Happens Next
Dujuan is expected to continue moving northward and then turn northeast, eventually moving away from Japan. Forecasts call for the storm to weaken and transition into an extratropical system as it moves farther into the Pacific.
For residents in the affected regions, however, the immediate concern remains the combination of heavy rainfall, strong winds, swollen rivers and unstable slopes.
The storm does not need to make a direct landfall over central Tokyo to cause serious disruption. Its large circulation and associated rain bands can affect a broad area, particularly when the ground is already saturated.
For now, Japanese authorities remain focused on evacuation warnings, rescue operations and keeping transportation and emergency services functioning.
As Dujuan moves away, attention will turn to the extent of the damage and whether further rainfall triggers additional flooding or landslides.
For millions of people across eastern Japan, the priority remains straightforward: staying safe while the worst of the storm passes.
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