The eastern region of Japan remains under a weather alert as heavy precipitation continues to impact the area. Officials report at least one fatality and have urged the evacuation of more than a million residents where advised by local authorities.
Weather authorities across Japan warned that record rainfall would persist into the weekend, triggering widespread warnings across Tokyo, Kanagawa, Shizuoka, Chiba, Ibaraki, and the prefectures near Osaka Bay. The rainfall is the result of a combination of meteorological factors in the Pacific, including the influence of Tropical Storm Mawar, which is part of this season’s second typhoon activity.
By 9:45 am local time, the storm was situated in the Pacific Ocean roughly 200 kilometers southwest of the volcanic island of Aogashima and was moving northeast at about 50 kilometers per hour.
One man, sixty years old, lost his life when floodwaters rose around his vehicle, which remained stranded on the roof. NHK reported the incident occurred in a growing area of Toyohashi in Aichi Prefecture. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, precipitation in some areas reached a record 419 millimeters in a 24-hour period.
In Kimino, Wakayama Prefecture, two people remain missing—one man and one woman—after their cars were swept away by fast-moving rivers yesterday. Local authorities continued the search for the vehicles on the following day. Across the affected regions, injuries have been reported, most of them minor, often resulting from strong winds or debris striking people on the ground.
The heavy rain triggered floods and inundations, impacting streets and residential areas. In Toyohashi, widespread flooding caused vehicle breakdowns and created hazardous driving conditions, with many residents calling for assistance after being cut off from their homes by rising rivers. Authorities warned that civil evacuations might be necessary in areas prone to flooding, and those warnings affected up to a million people at any given time.
In Tokyo and nearby municipalities, sirens sounded at dawn to alert residents to flood risks, delivering a stark reminder of the danger. In Toyokawa, Aichi, rainfall caused portions of road surfaces to crack and collapse, exposing underground utilities as the storm surged through the region. The impact extended to Enoshima Aquarium near Tokyo, where part of the roof over the dolphin show area sustained damage.
The storm continued to produce intermittent rain across Saitama and Kanagawa, with nearby Chiba and Ibaraki prefectures also affected. Several rivers remained at risk of overflowing, prompting continued caution. Some areas reported record rainfall amounts, including Kumamoto in the southwest, which recorded about 497.5 millimeters in 24 hours, and nearby central regions reaching close to 490 millimeters. In Koshigaya, Saitama, rainfall reached about 260.5 millimeters, while Tokyo’s central wards logged around 218 millimeters—the highest totals seen outside of June in several years.
Flight operations experienced disruption earlier, with roughly 270 cancellations noted the previous day. Normal operations resumed as conditions improved. The high-speed Shinkansen service along the Tokaido corridor, linking Tokyo and Osaka, faced suspensions but reported a complete restart of services by midday as crews cleared debris and ensured safe travel.