Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain, flooding and landslides to parts of eastern Japan, leaving at least four people dead and 22 injured, according to Japanese authorities. The storm also left more than 45,000 households without electricity in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo, while search operations continued for six people reported missing after landslides.
The typhoon moved northeast away from Japan and into the Pacific by Tuesday morning, September 22, allowing authorities to lift or downgrade most heavy-rain and landslide warnings. However, the heavy rainfall left some areas vulnerable to further landslides and flooding.
Japan’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency reported that three of the deaths occurred in Chiba Prefecture and one in Kanagawa Prefecture, both areas located near Tokyo. The deaths were linked to landslides triggered by the intense rainfall. Emergency crews continued search operations for six missing people following landslides in affected areas.
The storm also caused significant damage to homes and infrastructure. More than 460 houses had been damaged, while power outages affected over 45,000 households in Chiba by Tuesday afternoon. Electricity supply was disrupted as the typhoon brought strong winds and heavy rain across the region.
Dujuan produced exceptionally high rainfall totals in several locations around the Tokyo region. Oshima, an island approximately 120 kilometres south of central Tokyo, recorded 832 millimetres of rain over 48 hours. The amount was more than twice the island’s average rainfall for the entire month of September, according to Japan’s public broadcaster NHK.
Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward also recorded a record 282.5 millimetres of rainfall over a 24-hour period. Heavy rain caused flooding in parts of Chiba and other areas around the capital, while landslides affected communities in Kanagawa.
The storm disrupted transportation and public activities across the region. Japan Airlines cancelled 135 flights, while All Nippon Airways cancelled 140 flights as the typhoon approached and passed the Tokyo area. Railway services were also suspended or disrupted on several lines serving Tokyo and neighbouring prefectures.
The weather also affected scheduled events. The Tokyo Game Show, one of the world’s largest video-game trade fairs, closed early because of the storm. Events in Chiba were also cancelled as heavy rain and flooding affected the area.
Before the storm moved away, authorities had issued evacuation advisories for more than 1.6 million people in and around Tokyo. The advisories covered areas facing risks from heavy rain, flooding and landslides.
Typhoon Dujuan weakened as it moved northeast, and the Japanese Meteorological Agency reported that the storm had moved away from the country’s coast by Tuesday. Despite the weakening system, authorities continued to warn residents in affected areas about the risk of landslides because of the saturated ground.
The typhoon is the latest major weather event to affect Japan during the late summer and early autumn period, when the country regularly experiences tropical storms and typhoons. Dujuan’s passage caused deaths, injuries, property damage, power outages and widespread disruption across parts of eastern Japan.
