Millions of residents were instructed to evacuate their homes as Typhoon Shanshan unleashed powerful winds and torrential rains across southwest Japan on Thursday, causing widespread power outages, disrupting air travel, and compelling major factories to cease operations. Authorities have reported at least three fatalities and numerous injuries, cautioning that this could be one of the most severe storms ever to strike the area. Automobile giant Toyota suspended all operations at its domestic facilities due to the typhoon, while Nissan, Honda, and semiconductor manufacturers Renesas and Tokyo Electron also temporarily ceased production at certain plants. Funeral home worker Tomoki Maeda, who was in a hearse during the typhoon's onslaught in Miyazaki city on southern Kyushu, described the experience as unprecedented in his 31 years, with windows shattering and walls collapsing.
The typhoon, with wind gusts reaching up to 180kmph, was positioned near Unzen city in Nagasaki Prefecture at 1.45pm (0445 GMT), moving northward at approximately 15kmph, according to the meteorological agency. Kyushu Electric Power Co. reported that around 230,000 households across seven prefectures were without electricity in the afternoon. The utility had earlier confirmed that its Sendai Nuclear Power Plant in Satsumasendai city, where the storm initially made landfall, was unaffected. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi announced at a press conference that three individuals had perished and one was unaccounted for due to the typhoon, while the disaster management agency stated that 45 people had been injured.
The storm is forecast to linger over Kyushu for several days before approaching central and eastern regions, including Tokyo, over the weekend, according to the weather agency. Authorities have issued evacuation advisories to over 5.2 million people nationwide. Madoka Kubo, who manages a hotel in the historic city of Hitoyoshi in Kumamoto prefecture, reported that all bookings had been canceled, and her establishment was now serving as a shelter for elderly evacuees from surrounding areas. Airlines such as ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines have canceled nearly 800 flights, while train services in many parts of Kyushu and numerous bus and ferry services have also been suspended, according to the transport ministry. Typhoon Shanshan is the most recent severe weather event to affect Japan, following Typhoon Ampil earlier this month, which also resulted in power outages and evacuations.
