A destructive tropical cyclone, Typhoon Dujuan, swept across eastern Japan and the Tokyo metropolitan region on Monday and Tuesday, September 21 and 22, 2026, dumping historic volumes of rain, severing key transportation corridors, and prompting municipal authorities to issue non-mandatory evacuation advisories for more than 1.6 million residents.
Designated as Typhoon No. 25 of the 2026 Pacific storm season, the intense weather system made landfall along the Kanto coastline before moving northeast toward the open ocean. Meteorological stations recorded unprecedented precipitation totals, with Oshima Island in the Izu archipelago registering a record 832 millimeters of rainfall over a 48-hour window—more than double the island's typical average for the entire month of September. Within central Tokyo, the Edogawa Ward recorded 282.5 millimeters within a 24-hour span, overwhelming storm sewers and flooding low-lying suburban roads.
Widespread Infrastructure and Transit Paralysis
The torrential downpours and gale-force wind gusts severely impacted regional transportation networks. Central Japan Railway Company was forced to halt Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services connecting Tokyo and Osaka as safety sensors detected dangerous water accumulation along track beds. Major domestic carriers, including Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways, cancelled hundreds of flights arriving at and departing from Tokyo's Haneda and Narita airports.
Local utility providers reported that nearly 50,000 households in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures experienced power blackouts as fallen trees brought down overhead transmission lines. Major public venues across Tokyo, including the final day exhibitions of the annual Tokyo Game Show, suspended operations early to enable visitors and staff to return home safely before municipal rail systems implemented scheduled service curtailments. Continuous coverage of climate and extreme weather events is available on PakPulse247 News.
Emergency Evacuation Advisories and Casualties
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued top-tier Level 4 emergency warnings for dozens of municipalities across Tokyo, Chiba, and Saitama prefectures, warning of imminent river inundation and life-threatening hillside debris flows. Disaster management agencies confirmed that over 1.6 million citizens were urged to move to designated community shelters or seek refuge on upper floors of sturdy structures.
Emergency rescue crews responded to numerous localized landslides throughout hilly terrain in eastern Kanagawa prefecture. Public safety officials confirmed at least two fatalities and several individuals unaccounted for after mudslides enveloped residential structures in rural hillside districts. Municipal emergency services deployed swift-water rescue teams to assist drivers stranded in flooded underpasses and navigate submerged suburban streets.
Meteorological Trajectory and Downgraded Warnings
By late Tuesday morning, meteorological radar confirmed that the center of Typhoon Dujuan had begun accelerating northeastward into the open Pacific Ocean, tracking toward the Aleutian chain at speeds exceeding 45 kilometers per hour. As atmospheric pressure stabilized and intense precipitation bands drifted offshore, meteorological authorities gradually lifted high-level landslide alerts across the Tokyo basin.
While the storm center has moved offshore, emergency officials have maintained precautionary flood watches along major regional river basins, warning that elevated runoff from upstream mountains could keep river levels near flood thresholds through Wednesday. Municipal cleanup brigades and electrical line crews have commenced comprehensive damage assessments across affected districts. Readers seeking in-depth reporting on global climate resilience and disaster response can explore PakPulse247 Analysis.