Record-breaking rainfall east of Tokyo has caused widespread flooding, killing at least four people and leaving one missing. The downpour inundated roads and dozens of homes, stranded thousands of travelers, and caused significant power outages.
The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its most severe warning for heavy rain in Chiba prefecture on Friday morning as the rain subsided, but continued to forecast more precipitation for later in the day.
Daylight revealed extensive damage, with muddy water submerging homes, vehicles, and sections of railway tracks. The Ground Self-Defense Force deployed buses to assist approximately 4,000 people who had been stranded overnight at Soga train station, a key route that also serves Tokyo Disney. The theme park reported no damage.
Thousands more individuals were stuck at Narita airport, with train services to and from the area suspended. While flights remained operational, train services partially resumed on Friday with delays. Many passengers were returning home at the end of Japan's Bon Buddhist holiday week. Hundreds sought shelter at the Chiba prefectural government building overnight.
In Chiba prefecture, four individuals were confirmed dead and one remained missing. Among the deceased were a man found in a flooded road in Ichikawa city and a woman discovered in a flooded car in Sakura city. A person recovered from a flooded car in Kashiwa city is presumed dead.
More than 80 homes were flooded in the prefecture, and nearly 230,000 residents were advised to seek shelter, according to Chiba officials. Power outages affected about 23,000 homes on Friday morning, a decrease from an earlier figure of 68,000.
Chiba City recorded 11.5 centimeters (4.5 inches) of rain in a single hour, and Sakura registered 9.7 centimeters (3.8 inches) in an hour, both record-breaking amounts. Takuya Hosomi, an official with the Japan Meteorological Agency, stated during a televised emergency press conference that unprecedented rainfall levels were observed.