Full Breakdown
Typhoon Dujuan Ravages Japan’s Kanto Region
By Drooid · · How we work
Event Overview
On Monday, Typhoon Dujuan brushed the eastern coast of Japan, delivering sustained winds of about 144 km/h (89 mph) and torrential rain across the Kanto region. By Tuesday the storm had moved northeast into the Pacific, prompting authorities to downgrade most heavy-rain and landslide warnings. The system, Japan’s 25th typhoon of 2026, triggered landslides, flooding, power outages and transport disruption.
Background & Context
The storm arrived during Japan’s “Silver Week” holidays, a five-day period that typically sees a surge in domestic travel. Scientists cited the ongoing El Niño episode and a warming atmosphere as factors that can intensify rainfall, although the exact contribution of climate change was not quantified by officials.
Data & Statistics
- Rainfall: Oshima Island recorded 832 mm in 48 hours, a new record; Tokyo’s Edogawa Ward logged 282.5 mm in 24 hours.
- Power outages: Roughly 45,000-50,000 households across Chiba, Kanagawa, Yamanashi and Shizuoka lost electricity.
- Evacuations: The Fire and Disaster Management Agency advised more than 1.6 million people to seek shelter; the orders were non-mandatory.
- Flights: Japan Airlines cancelled 135 flights and All Nippon Airways scrapped 140.
- Casualties: Reported deaths range from four to ten, with six to ten people missing.
Impact on Communities
Landslides in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures claimed multiple lives, including a woman in her 60s in Yokosuka and a man in his 60s found near a submerged vehicle in Inzai on September 21, 2026. Floodwaters inundated thousands of homes; about 560 houses in Chiba were reported flooded, and roughly 500 structures across the three prefectures suffered damage.
At the Tani Fish Farm in Narita, muddy floodwater killed or drove out an estimated 100,000 koi carp and damaged machinery, resulting in losses of about ¥1 billion ($6.3 million).
Transport networks were crippled: several East Japan Railway lines, including portions of the Sobu, Narita and Sotobo routes, were suspended; bullet-train services between Tokyo and Osaka were halted; and Haneda and Narita airports saw hundreds of flight cancellations.
Major events were also affected. The Tokyo Game Show ended a day early, the Rock in Japan music festival cancelled its final day, and an equestrian competition at the Asian Games in Aichi was postponed.
Official Statements & Responses
The Fire and Disaster Management Agency coordinated evacuation advisories and directed rescue teams—including the Self-Defense Forces, prefectural police and local fire departments—to search for missing persons.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi posted condolences on X and confirmed she would proceed with her scheduled trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, stating she had instructed senior officials to respond with “utmost preparedness.”
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Death toll: The Guardian and BBC reported four fatalities; the New York Times cited five; Japan Times and Nippon Press listed nine; the Independent counted ten.
- Missing persons: Numbers range from six (Guardian) to ten.
- Power outages: Estimates vary between 45,000 (Guardian, Al Jazeera) and 50,000.
These discrepancies reflect the rapidly evolving situation and staggered release of local data. A definitive casualty count remains pending as search operations continue.
Verbatim Quotes
- “There is flooding in various parts of the city, so travelling by car is dangerous,” — Kamakura Mayor Takashi Matsuo
- “We can’t do anything until the floodwater recedes,” — Kenji Tani, CEO of the fish farm