Fatalities and severe rainfall in Kanto

Typhoon Dujuan, the 25th typhoon of the season in Japan, struck eastern coastal areas before heading out into the Pacific Ocean. The storm brought torrential rains and strong winds to the Kanto region and communities surrounding Tokyo. By 8:00 a.m. local time on 23 September, official counts from local authorities confirmed nine fatalities and four people missing. Chiba prefecture, located east of Tokyo, recorded six deaths, while Kanagawa prefecture reported three deaths. The casualties resulted primarily from rain-triggered landslides. In Sodegaura, Chiba prefecture, a 51-year-old man operating an excavator to clear a damaged road died after a landslide buried his vehicle. In Yokosuka, Kanagawa prefecture, a woman died after mud entered her residence, while an elderly couple in their 70s remained missing nearby. On Oshima in the Izu Islands, the Japan Meteorological Agency recorded 832 millimetres of rainfall over a 48-hour period, a total exceeding twice the monthly average for September. Wind speeds reached 130 km/h, with maximum gusts recorded at 194 km/h.

Disruptions to transport and public events

The typhoon led authorities to issue evacuation advisories for 1.9 million residents, while extreme weather left between 50,000 and 58,000 households without electric power. In flooded Tokyo suburbs, emergency workers delivered provisions to isolated residents by boat as mud and deep water submerged vehicles and roadways. Aviation operations faced widespread cancellations, with All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines grounding more than 270 flights, mainly at Tokyo Haneda Airport, affecting roughly 40,000 travelers. Regional rail lines in the Tokyo metropolitan area and parts of the northeastern Tohoku region suspended operations, although Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services operated on normal schedules. The severe weather hit during a five-day national holiday period, leading to the cancellation of the Tokyo Game Show video game exhibition and scheduled live concerts at the Rock in Japan music festival.

Pedestrians navigating Tokyo experienced severe rain and loudspeaker warnings across public spaces. Sarah Duffour, a visitor from France, recounted her experience in the flooded streets.

“We were in the street, we heard loudspeaker announcements in Japanese. The road was almost a swimming pool.”

Pauline Bocquillon, a French resident in the capital, described the weather conditions during the storm.

“It was absolutely soaked. Umbrellas were turning inside out. I think this is the 25th typhoon of the season and yesterday's typhoon was the strongest.”

Chiba6

Kanagawa3

Chiba

6 deaths

Kanagawa

3 deaths

Data from the article text

Emergency response and government travel

Following the mudslides, the Kanagawa prefectural government formally requested the deployment of the Japan Self-Defense Forces to assist with local rescue and recovery efforts. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expressed condolences on social media platform X and ordered cabinet members to coordinate emergency operations before proceeding with a scheduled international trip.

“With a sense of urgency, I have instructed Chief Cabinet Secretary Takehara and Minister Hosono to respond with the utmost readiness.”

Takaichi boarded a flight to the United States to address the United Nations General Assembly in New York and meet with United States President Donald Trump. As Typhoon Dujuan tracked northeast away from the coast toward the Pacific Ocean, the Japan Meteorological Agency lifted or downgraded most emergency heavy rain and landslide warnings across the region.