Kamakura Floods as Typhoon Dujuan Batters Kanto; 1.6M Evacuate

Typhoon Dujuan pounded Japan’s Pacific coast on September 21, dumping record rainfall across the Kanto region and flooding Kamakura’s streets and tourist sites. Authorities ordered 1.6 million residents to evacuate across five prefectures, while Japan Airlines cancelled 135 flights and All Nippon Airways cancelled 140. The Japan Meteorological Agency issued level-5 emergency warnings, the highest alert level, for flooding and landslides in Oshima town and the Izu Islands.

Kamakura streets turn to rivers as typhoon strikes

Roads in Kamakura flooded like rivers on September 21 as Typhoon Dujuan made its closest approach to the Tokyo metropolitan area. The Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, one of Kamakura’s most visited landmarks, became obscured by heavy rain and water runoff. Wakamiya Avenue, a major thoroughfare, was submerged, forcing road closures and bus route diversions across the city.

Record rainfall triggers highest-level warnings

Some locations recorded more than 300 mm of rainfall since Saturday, September 20, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. The agency issued level-5 emergency warnings for Oshima town in the Izu Islands, about 110 km south of Tokyo, and level-4 alerts for northern Izu, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Shizuoka prefectures. Linear rain bands, which dump extraordinary amounts of rain over narrow areas in hours, posed a heightened risk across the Kanto region.

Mass evacuations and infrastructure disruptions

Authorities ordered more than 1.6 million residents to evacuate across five prefectures, including Tokyo. Japan Airlines cancelled 135 flights while All Nippon Airways cancelled 140, grounding hundreds of flights nationwide. Power outages struck multiple areas, and a man in his 50s was rescued after becoming trapped at a landslide site in Chiba prefecture. Tokyo’s disaster prevention agency warned residents to avoid basements, which are prone to flooding and trapping occupants.

Prime minister’s UN trip delayed by storm

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s departure for New York to attend the U.N. General Assembly was delayed by four hours due to the typhoon, with the government rescheduling her departure to 11 p.m. JST on September 21. The Asian Games in Aichi Prefecture postponed the equestrian eventing competition until Tuesday. The storm follows a year of extreme weather events globally, with unusually intense rainfall and tropical cyclones affecting regions from East Asia to North America and Europe.

Final Thoughts

Typhoon Dujuan delivered record rainfall and severe flooding to Kamakura and the Kanto region on September 21, forcing 1.6 million evacuations and triggering the highest-level emergency warnings. The storm disrupted flights, power, and critical infrastructure across eastern Japan, with impacts likely to persist through the day.

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