Typhoon Shanshan ravages Japan; three killed, 78 injured

Typhoon Shanshan drenched large areas of Japan on Friday, triggering flood and landslide warnings well beyond the storm's centre. The typhoon, which is being described as one of the most severe to strike Kyushu, made landfall on Thursday, leading to widespread disruptions including halted travel services and factory shutdowns.

In Kyushu's Fukuoka city, residents sought shelter as the storm hit hard. University student Kokoro Osoegawa, 21, found herself stranded at a deserted shopping mall near the train station due to the suspension of train services. "I’ve never experienced all the trains stopping before," she noted.

The disaster management agency reported at least three fatalities and 78 injuries related to the storm. With wind gusts reaching up to 50 metres per second (180 km/h or 112 mph) strong enough to overturn trucks, the typhoon was near Kunisaki in Oita Prefecture at 8:45 a.m. local time and moving northeast.

Around 125,000 households in seven prefectures were left without power in Kyushu, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co. The typhoon’s slow progress has caused heavy rains in areas far from its main body, leading authorities to issue evacuation advisories to over 4 million people nationwide, including as far afield as Tokyo and Yokohama. Despite these warnings, only approximately 30,000 people had been evacuated by Thursday, primarily in Kyushu, according to disaster management minister Yoshifumi Matsumura.

As the typhoon continued its path from Kyushu, it was expected to affect central and eastern regions, including Tokyo, over the weekend. Major companies including Toyota, Nissan, Honda, Renesas, Tokyo Electron, and Sony suspended operations at some factories. Airlines such as ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines cancelled hundreds of domestic and international flights. Many ferry and rail services, including the bullet train between Tokyo and Nagoya, were also halted.

Tourist Lin Yue-Hua from Taiwan faced disruptions as her flight from Fukuoka was cancelled. She struggled to book another flight and found herself stuck in Japan. "We stayed one more day in Japan and saw on the news that our flight couldn't land," she said.

Typhoon Shanshan follows Typhoon Ampil, which also caused power outages and evacuations earlier in the month.