At least four people have died in eastern Japan after exceptionally heavy rainfall caused flooding, power outages and major transport disruptions, authorities said on Friday.
The intense downpour began late Thursday and prompted landslide warnings across parts of Chiba Prefecture. Japan’s weather agency issued its highest-level heavy rain warning for the region for the first time.
Public broadcaster NHK later reported that two additional deaths had been recorded, potentially raising the toll to six.
According to the Chiba Prefecture Disaster Management Office, the confirmed victims include a man believed to be in his 60s or 70s who was found floating on a flooded road, and a 66-year-old woman trapped in a submerged vehicle. Another man was found collapsed on a street, while the fourth victim had not yet been identified.
The severe weather also left nearly 26,000 households without electricity across Chiba.
Authorities said 45 homes were flooded in cities including Ichikawa, Kashiwa and Sakura, while another 39 houses experienced water entering beneath the floorboards.
Thousands stranded at Narita
The storm caused widespread disruption to road and rail services, leaving around 6,000 passengers stranded overnight at Narita Airport, one of the two main airports serving Tokyo.
Many train services to and from the airport were suspended until Friday afternoon. Inside the terminal, passengers slept on floors and in waiting areas, with sleeping bags distributed by airport staff.
Travellers also reported receiving free food and water.
A passenger from the United Kingdom, identified as Philip, told AFP that he endured a nine-hour journey, including a taxi ride, before finally reaching the airport early Friday.
Hundreds of other commuters were stranded at Chiba Station, while many residents spent the night in emergency shelters.
Television footage showed vehicles submerged up to their headlights in parts of Kashiwa City.
A resident of Ichikawa told NHK that the flooding occurred suddenly and that the power outage was creating uncertainty for local businesses.
The Japan Meteorological Agency described the rainfall as potentially reaching an “unprecedented” level.
By Friday morning, the level-5 emergency warnings had been downgraded to level 4, though authorities continued to urge caution.
Scientists have increasingly linked human-driven climate change to more frequent, intense and prolonged extreme weather events, including heavy rainfall and flooding.
