More than 1.9 million people were urged to evacuate in parts of Japan as powerful Typhoon Dujuan brought torrential rain, violent winds and a heightened risk of flooding and landslides to the country’s eastern regions on Monday.
The storm approached Japan’s Pacific coast as authorities warned residents to remain alert for rapidly worsening weather conditions. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued warnings covering heavy rainfall, landslides, overflowing rivers, flooding in low-lying areas and dangerous coastal conditions.
Typhoon Dujuan moved toward the Kanto region, which includes Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, during a period when millions of people were travelling for Japan’s Silver Week holidays. The combination of heavy rain, strong winds and holiday traffic created additional challenges for emergency services and transportation networks.
Authorities in several areas issued evacuation information, urging residents living near rivers, slopes and other vulnerable locations to move to safer places before conditions deteriorated further. In some locations, residents were advised to move to higher floors or designated shelters.
The Izu Islands were among the areas that experienced particularly heavy rainfall. Izu Oshima recorded more than 600 millimeters of rain in a 24-hour period, according to weather-agency data reported Monday. Parts of Chiba Prefecture also recorded exceptionally high rainfall totals.
The JMA warned that intense rain bands could develop over Kanto and central Japan. Such rain bands can remain over relatively narrow areas for several hours and produce extremely heavy rainfall within a short period, increasing the possibility of flash floods and landslides.
Japan has a detailed disaster-warning system, but officials repeatedly urged residents not to wait until conditions became dangerous before evacuating. People living in areas under higher-level warnings were advised to follow instructions issued by their local municipalities.
The typhoon also disrupted transportation. Japan Airlines cancelled 120 domestic flights, while All Nippon Airways cancelled around 140 flights, according to Japanese media reports. East Japan Railway suspended some services in affected areas, including parts of Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures and western Tokyo.
The storm also affected major events. The Tokyo Game Show cancelled its Monday programme because of the weather. At the Asian Games being held in central Japan, organisers postponed the equestrian eventing competition because of the approaching storm.
The government was also forced to adjust Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s international travel plans. Her departure from Tokyo for the United Nations General Assembly in New York was delayed by several hours because of the storm.
Officials stressed that the danger was not limited to the centre of the typhoon. Heavy rainfall could continue even after the strongest winds moved away, leaving rivers swollen and slopes unstable.
Residents were therefore advised to avoid unnecessary travel, stay away from flooded roads and rivers and avoid underground facilities where water could accumulate.
Typhoon Dujuan demonstrated once again how quickly weather conditions can deteriorate in Japan. With evacuation warnings issued across several prefectures, authorities continued monitoring rainfall, wind speeds and river levels while emergency agencies remained prepared to respond to flooding and landslides.
For residents in vulnerable areas, officials said early evacuation remained important as the storm passed through eastern Japan.