Tropical Storm Dujuan is strengthening in the Western Pacific and is forecast to track towards Japan, threatening strong winds and heavy rain over the country's 'silver week' holidays. Currently located 832 kilometers (517 miles) northeast of Guam, Dujuan is expected to rapidly gain power as it passes over very warm waters, according to the US's Joint Typhoon Warning Center. This system will likely bring heavy rainfall to eastern Japan, including Tokyo, an area that has already experienced two weeks of record precipitation, thereby increasing the risk of landslides and floods.
The Japan Meteorological Agency has warned of potential landslides and flooding from the western to northern coasts of Japan over the coming days, with Typhoon Dujuan possibly making landfall near Tokyo early next week, specifically on September 21. As of mid-afternoon on September 19, the typhoon was moving north-west at 15 km/h south of Honshu, with an atmospheric pressure of 975 hectopascals at its center and maximum gusts of 162 km/h. It is projected to make landfall on the Boso peninsula in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, two days into Japan's five-day holiday period.
The approaching typhoon and heavy rains are expected to cause widespread disruption to transportation. JR East has advised that train services in some areas of Chiba and other prefectures may be suspended from late September 20 through September 21. Previously, on September 7, heavy rain had already affected over 140,000 people in the Tokyo metropolitan area due to train suspensions, with major lines like the Yamanote loop operating with reduced services. The Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train line, though not scheduled for suspension, may face halts or delays based on weather conditions.
The weather agency predicts significant rainfall, with 150mm expected in the Izu islands south of Tokyo in the Pacific and in the Kanto-Koshin region (including Tokyo) within 24 hours through noon on September 20. The northeastern Tohoku and central Tokai regions could see 60mm of rain. JR East has already announced suspensions or reductions in train services across wide areas of Greater Tokyo and Tohoku from the night of September 6 through September 7 due to heavy rain, asking passengers to avoid stations due to anticipated congestion. Several limited express services, including the Sunrise Seto/Izumo, Azusa, and Shiosai, are also subject to suspension.
Adding to the complexities, Japan is currently hosting the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games for the first time since 1994, welcoming over 17,000 athletes and officials from 45 countries and regions. The games, held in Nagoya and surrounding prefectures, as well as Tokyo and Osaka, include qualification events for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The soaring cost of the Asian Games and Asian Para Games combined has escalated from an original estimate of 100 billion yen ($637 million) to over 370 billion yen, with the government providing 13.6 billion yen in subsidies.
