On Wednesday, Japan issued an emergency warning as Typhoon Shanshan, categorized as 'very strong,' approached the southwestern region, bringing heavy rain and winds of 50 meters per second with gusts up to 70 meters per second (252km per hour/157 mph). Toyota Motor suspended operations at all its domestic factories due to the storm.
Airlines and rail operators also canceled several services in anticipation of the typhoon. The Japan Meteorological Agency urged maximum caution, warning of strong winds, high waves, and high tides not previously observed. Shanshan is forecast to impact Japan's southwestern Kyushu island and move towards the central and eastern regions, including Tokyo, by the weekend.
Evacuation orders were issued for over 800,000 residents in Kagoshima prefecture and the central Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures. In Aichi, where Toyota's headquarters is located, two people from a house that collapsed in a landslide remained missing. Toyota announced the suspension of operations at all 14 of its Japanese plants from Wednesday evening through Thursday morning.
This follows Typhoon Ampil, which hit Japan last week, causing blackouts and evacuations. ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines canceled over 210 domestic flights and 10 international flights respectively, affecting approximately 18,400 passengers.
