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Powerful typhoon lashes southwest Japan; expected to make landfall Thursday

114 Comments

A very strong typhoon in the Pacific may be taking a ''quite dangerous'' course and could sweep across large swaths of the Japanese archipelago as it is expected to become the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Japan in two years on Thursday, a weather agency official said Wednesday.

Typhoon Melor caused more than 240 flights to be canceled Wednesday, mainly in Kyushu and western Japan, and a further 260 are expected to be canceled Thursday, according to airlines.

The season's 18th typhoon is likely to make landfall on or around the Kii Peninsula in western Japan on Thursday and travel northward across Honshu Island through Friday, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

''It is expected to take a quite dangerous course that will require caution across Japan,'' Akira Murakami, a senior weather forecaster from the agency, said at a press conference.

He warned in particular of damage from strong winds heavy rain, high tides and rough waves.

The government has set up a liaison office at the prime minister's office.

The typhoon was traveling north-northeast at about 230 kilometers south of Cape Muroto in Kochi Prefecture at a speed of 40 km per hour at 9 p.m. and with a maximum wind velocity of 162 kph around its center, the agency said.

The typhoon, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to Kyushu and western Japan, also affected some train runs on Wednesday.

The last typhoon to make landfall in Japan was in September 2007, the agency said. No typhoon made landfall last year for the first time in eight years.

© Wire reports

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

114 Comments
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Surf's up!

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Wish I did not have work. This is going to make some great body boarding waves. More than likely though with the wind, it will make junk out of it. Will got shoot pictures if I get the day off.

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This could be interesting if the Typhoon comes down the slot (lands somewhere near Tokyo). Look for the local media to go into hyper drive with the story line being the "biggest typhoon ever."

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My 30km bike ride to work was fun this morning.

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The governments response will be to setup a task force.

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This one will hit the whole country. The damages can be expected to be massive.

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Yep, this one is gonna be cracker and it will cross the mainland near Tokyo. I just hope it comes early on Thursday so I don't have to go to work.

The surfers are excited with 6m plus waves although, it is a very short period so it will be ugly. Friday is looking the goods though. Wax up your rhino chasers boys! Who do you know that owns a jet-ski?
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Haven't the geniuses of the world figured out how to stop typhoons yet? Oh, that's right, they haven't figured out how to stop earthquakes yet either...

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Haven't the geniuses of the world figured out how to stop typhoons yet? Oh, that's right, they haven't figured out how to stop earthquakes yet either...

pls add: yellow sand....

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Let's hope it's a good one. Typhoons have been few and far between in Japan this year.

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Last time we had a very good one a number of years back, it blue off the steel cover of my Webber grill and tossed it down 4 floors onto bikes. Lucky it did not hit a car or person. I snuck down and brought it back up. I just locked everything down now.

Surfers are not excited as it will be all junk with the wind. Tomorrow will be better.

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here comes another 15cm tsunami

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Typhoons again,hope its loses power on the way to Japan.

Go away typhoons,we have a lot of work to do at Sony, with project Akio Morita.

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yeah, i don't need typhoons either.

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They're saying it could be as big as 1991's No. 19. Lying down on the second floor, we could feel the house shake.It was creepy. One news report was comparing the course and strength to one in 1959 that left 5,000 dead. Yeeps. I hope it won't be that bad...

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they ALWAYS say this about Kansai and at the last minute it always diverts somewhere else. I've been waiting years to see a typhoon ... so personally I'm excited. However i can imagine i wouldn't be so excited if i had to work tomorrow!

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Yelnats - Surfers are not excited as it will be all junk with the wind.

Dunno which part of Japan you are in, but a peninsular has two sides and inside the Chiba peninsular will be on fire. Anybody heading to Tateyama for a wave will be well rewarded. Kansai will be garbage though, as usual.

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i have been in a couple of major hurricanes before, and the howling wind is extremely scary. If you are in a high building, prepare to ride it out and bring some dramamine.

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Current forecast has it hitting land south of Kyoto at 6 pm on Thursday

http://metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc/warnings/wp2009.gif

I can't remember the last time an actual typhoon hit honshu, most of the time they're tropical storms by the time they make land but this one will have 100+ mph winds. Won't be fun.

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A typhoon category 4 is not a joke, and I wonder why the government hasn't give any warnings to the people, and why is not telling the people to stay at home to prevent any emergency that could happend because of the possible collapsed system of transportation. Thousands will be stuck in the city center on Thursday. Why the government don't ask the people to remain at home? Remember that Andrew in Miami was category 4 and let a lot of destruction, and don't tell that Japan is better prepared than the States. That is simply not true.

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Haven't the geniuses of the world figured out how to stop typhoons yet? Oh, that's right, they haven't figured out how to stop earthquakes yet either...

Sarge, you are one message posting typhoon, who can stop you? i can't.

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Surfers be aware that the local authorities will do their best to stop people surfing on Typhoon waves.

On another note, on the news this evening they were saying that the seas south of Japan are still very warm at this time of year, so there is a strong possibility that the Typhoon will be at full strength when it hits land.

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I'll bet you a pound to a penny we have a bit of rain and some wind for a couple of hours in the middle of the night, and some old fool will call upon all his hard-earned wisdom to decide to climb up on his roof to fix a leak and fall off, and we'll all have to pretend it's an unforseeable act of God.

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Tis the season, time to close the shutters, call in to work and have a few drinks.

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I'll take that bet. I can guarantee there will be landslides that will cause fatalities, not to mention half the JT board thinking it's a good time to take up surfing...

As I and others have pointed out. This will be an actual typhoon when it makes land with winds upwards of 100 mph, not like the usual storms that have lost all of their power.

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Another quite good site for watching tropical storms... http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com/

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Hope it will not land... all we have to do is pray... this is not a good typhoon. But still prayers could help and not by debating?

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It will just be a bit wet and windy out.

Typhoons have always been a major disappointment as far as I'm concerned. On TV they predict the end of civilization as we know it and then all you actually get is some HS girls struggling with their umbrellas and a few trains cancelled.

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Yeah Shufu,you're right.They always cry wolf about hitting Kansai. Seeing is believing for me.

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Good luck, Japan. Southeast Asia wasn't so lucky.

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I am a bit surprised by some of the comments on this board. It seems that people are openly cheering for a major typhoon to hit the country, cause massive damage, perhaps, dislodge thousands of people, and maybe even claim some lives. Then, if the typhoon isn't as dangerous and destructive as they hope they will be disappointed. I wonder if they cheer the wild fires in California, or the earthquake that just hit Indonesia, or the Tsunami that struck Samoa. I think a few people need to grow up.

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likely to hit somewhere between western to eastern Japan on Thursday

i'm searching for my compass...

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A typhoon that hit MIe in the late 90s ('99?) took enough roof off my building that my kitchen ceiling fell in. Never underestimate, and take cover.

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Not something to be joking about....

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My bet is it's a flash in the pan and all the fun stuff will happen when we are all tucked up in our beds tonight. Down my neck of the woods (Tokushima)the waves are already coming in huge and predicted to double in size by this afternoon. Not for the feaint hearted, that's for sure.

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If you look at the latest satellite photo (Oct. 7, 9 AM) the eye of the storm is gone and the top end is getting blown away as it hits the northern jet stream. While there could be some heavy rain and wind, I think it will be quite an average typhoon followed by a nice sunny day. Hopefully it will be beautiful weather for the long weekend.

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It seems that people are openly cheering for a major typhoon to hit the country

I'm hoping for a day off from work, that's all. I have a feeling it won't be anything big, however.

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As a surfer, I am cheering this baby on.

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It will make landfall today, have you noticed the predictions are always out by 12 to 24 hours too late? Friday and the long weekend will be beautiful sunny days. You heard it here first!

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As a surfer, I am cheering this baby on.

Maybe these individuals won't be so full of cocksure arrogance after the end of a somebody's wind-borne, shredded umbrella spears them in the center of their chest -- or pokes out an eyeball.

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Maybe these individuals won't be so full of cocksure arrogance after the end of a somebody's wind-borne, shredded umbrella spears them in the center of their chest -- or pokes out an eyeball.

I always found it funny and surprising when people in Japan go out carrying an umbrella in a typhoon, thinking that it will protect them from the rain. Afterwards, they cannot control it, it gets blown away by strong winds, etc... let alone ending up hurting others.

This is a typhoon people, not your friendly light rain! If you have to go out, put your raincoat and boots on and suck it up. Sheesh..

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The typhoon (#22 a few years back) that bashed our town was very intense. We made the national news. Two hours before it hit us I was surfing with my buddies thinking the media was typically making too much out of it. A couple hours later...my neighbors entire roof lay on my wife's car while my van was written-off with flying debris damage. At least a quarter of the towns houses lost their roofs and we were lucky to only have roof tiles embedded into the side of our house and broken windows. I have a lot more respect for the POSSIBILITY of a typhoon living up to it's potential.

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We are all being negative here I think. For some, the typhoon maybe the most scariest thing, and for the others, life has lost its meaning so typhoon tsunami or earth quake is no big deal.

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You haven't experienced the true awesome power of a typhoon, or any storm for that matter, until you've ridden one out on a ship on the open sea...

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@USNinJapan:

So right you are. I was on Guam when super-typhoon Paka hit. It stopped over the island for 11 hours. It crushed one of the oil tanks in Apra harbor like a beer can. It lifted a 55 foot trimaran and flipped it over so the 70 foot mast cleard the water and deposited it 50 yards from the shore. It snapped cocanut palms like match sticks. It bent construction "I" beams like pretzles. Not fun at all!

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A note to the author of this article. Cyclones and Typhoons are regional terms.

hurricane (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)

typhoon (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)

severe tropical cyclone(the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)

severe cyclonic storm (the North Indian Ocean)

tropical cyclone (the Southwest Indian Ocean)

However, if you use of the word tropical cyclone was in its meaning as the generic term for a non-frontal synoptic scale low-pressure system over tropical or sub-tropical waters with organized convection, then my apologies for pointing this out.

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I live on a military base...the houses are brick...bring it on!

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Get ready for a big blow. I was in Andrew. No fun thankful my family survived. I was going to be in Japan this month. Good luck to everyone. Hunker down have some sochu and relax.

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Landfall did not happen in Japan for 2 years. This typhoon might land and cross here up north vertically on 8th. Watch out! don't die!

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Asahi Shimbun web site just reported the first surfer fatality, a middle-school teacher in Okayama.

http://www.asahi.com/national/update/1007/TKY200910070194.html

So which one of you guys is next?

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Been living in Tokyo for 6 years and none of these 'typhoons' has ever been stronger than a slightly worse than average winter's day in London.

Of course, I realise it's different in other parts of the country.

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Beelsebub, I was about to post the same article. Now watch people here babble about how the teacher's techniques were not good enough, etc. I dearly hope that there are no more suicidal tragedies coming from this typhoon.

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The wide show just said its 99.9 percent certain to hit Kansai.Doing a MJ and keeping their .1 just in case it seems.

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Typhoons tend to be predominantly either rainy or windy, but this looks like it has elements of both.

The govt has warned people to spend today, Wednesday, working on back-up or emergency escape plans. They have also warned that as this Typhoon recedes, there may well be downbursts and/or tornadoes in the backwinds.

In Japan the hype however tends to be bigger than the event, in 95% of cases anyway in my experience. Be ready to be disappointed folks, and to prepare so much the less next time when you may actually need to prepare more...

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As someone who has been surfing typhoon swells in Japan since the early 90s I can honestly say that most of us respect the power of waves. Whats crazy is how many times I've seen, read and heard of people getting swept out to sea while trying to swim or play around in these kinds of conditions. My local beach has at least one fatality every year and it's almost only ever drunken men in their 30s or 40s from Tokyo (3 years ago it was a small child unfortunately)

PS, Beelzebub, how long has Kamakura been near Okayama? Get someone who can read Japanese to translate the article for you!

Bottom line is if you don't understand and respect its power, don't step foot in the ocean.

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just flying towards chipan is a typhoon, man.

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turbulence hell = flight towards japan

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I agree with Taiko666. These Typhoons always end up being no wind and a lot of rain by the time they get to Tokyo. A lot of hype for nothing.

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We have thunderstorms in the midwest that will out do any Typhoon that would hit Japan. The rain is not as heavy, but we have straight line winds that would blow a brick building down. Happens a few times a year. Get over it. Just stay home if you can't handle the rain.

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coming from florida i have yet to be even slightly in awe of japan`s so called "typhoons." yawn

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Good to see all these young people with such a blaze attitude. I used to be the same until experiencing a cyclone in South East Asia (in a hoochie) some years ago. About 2am in the morning, I had a through-and-through caused by a huge tree splinter doing terminal velocity. That rectified my attitude.

Anyway, wherever you are in Japan folks, do you shopping today (don't forget the bottled water), and don't do anything stupid, it ain't worth the risk.

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This one is likely to go through Osaka and Nagoya and to snarl up the morning traffic in those cities, they are saying. Expect floods...

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Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.

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unrested: America does everything better, even total destruction.

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Currently, it is BARELY a category 2. When it makes landfall, it is expected to be a high Cat 1 or low Cat 2. I wouldn't call this "major" by any stretch. Granted, I grew up in Northwest Florida, and only evacuated for one hurricane in my life: Fredrick back in the 70's. Generally, Cat1 or 2 is some crap weather for a little while, a day or two off, and some canned food. Granted, here in Japan, it will be more like some crap weather, and the day off part depends on whether JR suspends operations tomorrow...(I am hoping that they do). No need to panic, everyone. Close the windows, and enjoy the day off. I have a feeling that my apartment won't even lose power. Time for DVD's and a 6-pack!!

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I can imagine all those Oba-sans getting ready to send their husbands (who did not die from new years mochi) up onto the roof or somewhere else dangerous as I type.

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Basically you all are at natures mercy at all times, including myself for now. Any moment may be your last physically. Earthquakes, typhoons, floods, etc. Even without including your fellow humans in the mix. I'm not chicken little crying the sky is falling, not a boy crying wolf. You say these typhoons are just dribble, like a winter day in London, etc. A prayer would be a much wiser thing to say. I just returned from Omaezaki and would like to stick your body in what I saw for 2 or 3 seconds, you would come out with a better spirit guaranteed. Maturity is not impossible.

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roofs

Silly me. I always thought it was rooves.

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I agree with Taiko666. Whilst the typhoon may be very bad in other parts of the country, (they seem to hit the south and west worse than here) I have been here 7 years and in all that time the storms that have hit Tokyo have been nothing more than typical British November weather.

I DO have respect for nature - I was in the 1987 hurricane that hit SE England and we lost a car, the roof and had no power or water for 4 days. 3 doors down the kids were thankfully not in their beds when the wall collapsed on them. But I don`t have respect for people who freak out, claim this is the end of the world, go out with umbrellas, or go up on roofs to inspect tiles (I suspect this has a lot to do with scary obaasan wives and juicy life insurance policies!)

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And hopefully this will be nothing more than your typical British November... I know better.

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no work tomorrow!!! i hope....

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LouReed - I agree with Taiko666. These Typhoons always end up being no wind and a lot of rain by the time they get to Tokyo. A lot of hype for nothing.

Always? Really? Tokyo has had at least half a dozen good lashings in the last decade. Or, is it just because it doesn't kill a couple of thousand people you consider it a non-event? There will be substantial damage from this typhoon and hopefully it won't kill a couple of thousand people.

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In case anyone is not aware, the TV will provide classification of the storm for your area. Yellow is Chui-ho (Light Warning) and RED is Kei-ho (Heavy Warning).

Based strictly on the issuance of red KEI-HO, each school and business will make a policy decision for between such and such a time period, whether to stay open, close for half a day, or close for the whole day.

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Patrick Smash. Please back up your statements. What do you mean by "on some sites"?

945 hPa is still a Cat 2 Typhoon, described on the Japan Meteorological site as "Extremely Strong".

It is expected to turn into a tropical storm after it has crossed Japan.

In the meantime, I think we should stay prepared for anything...

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Disillusioned

In 6 years so far I've certainly never experienced anything in Tokyo more serious than heavy rain and winds strong enough to turn a cheap umbrella inside out. That's not a typhoon, or a cyclone, or even a storm. It's just winter weather, and therefore a 'non-event.' As I said, I know that's not the case elsewhere in Japan.

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Wow the kids are celebrating for the moment, no school tomorrow here in Hamamatsu, it should be ripping through in around six hours. Rain began increasing about thirty minutes ago. Tokyo just before dawn?? Any whose if it is remarkably terrible I will post for the tuned in few.

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What's the best website for Japanese weather (in English!)?

Also is there a widget or something for Japanese typhoon alerts, like there is in HK?

Thanks...

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Cancellations galore tomorrow! Woot, I get paid by the month!

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metocph.nmci.navy.mil/jtwc.php

might be arriving a bit earlier than expected. Good pounding here now. Link is a military warning center.

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Has anybody watched the cyclone cloud in google earth? That looks scary...

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I imagine landslides will be the biggest danger. That doesn't happen in Ebina much, it's pretty flat here (for Japan). Probably going south anyway.

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It has started up here in Tohoku now, so you guys in Tokyo should rest easy now. The worst is over. I'm battening down the hatches as we speak...This could be nasty, folks...

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im so worried really... my husband will still go to work tomorrow and doesnt care about the typhoon? always work work work how bout thinking himself and his family? and been argueing this all night... he will still go to work!...

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filjapnagoya, don't worry. He will watch the TV tomorrow morning and if it says OK, then everyone will go to work. If the red KEI-HO warning is up on the screen, then the company will not expect him to come to work...

Get a good night's sleep.

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It has passed us by in Osumi (Kagoshima), and was quite harmless considering all the hype...wind speed and rainfall was much less than the expected 200mm ...however, I think Kochi may take the real brunt of this one...so please take care!!

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"The last typhoon to make landfall in Japan was in September 2007, the agency said. No typhoon made landfall last year for the first time in eight years."

Am I the only one that thinks this was really poorly written?

This typhoon is making me kind of nervous. Having grown up with tornado weather I keep thinking I need to find a room w/o any windows..... but there are windows all over my apartment.... Crap. Hopefully it calms down before hitting us. >.<

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Panic everyone. This could potentially be almost as bad as the Swine 'flu was this year...

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Yahoo forecasts Thursday afternoon with clear skies but you sure wouldn't know it by watching the evening news.

Whatever... http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com/

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So far its lame in Tokyo. Hardly any wind and just a drizzle. I am kind of disappointed...

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nandakandamanda,

thanks still hoping typhoon will slow down and not hit the cities.

i still have a nervous breakdown on past earthquake happened on Aug.2009 if im not mistaken. Typhoon is typhoon you dont know what will happen next... its blank. All we have to do is beg and Pray for the safety of each and everyone on this earth.

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No big problems, rode my bike home without flying out of Kansas.

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All we have to do is beg and Pray for the safety of each and everyone on this earth.

Yes, or deal with it.

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Yep, just as I thought, a bit wet and windy and nothing more.

Another typhoon disappointment.

I am a bit surprised by some of the comments on this board. It seems that people are openly cheering for a major typhoon to hit the country, cause massive damage, perhaps, dislodge thousands of people, and maybe even claim some lives.

Well, frankly speaking, I am all for massive natural disasters. They're awesome. Of course I don't want anybody to get killed.

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"I am a bit surprised by some of the comments on this board. It seems that people are openly cheering for a major typhoon to hit the country, cause massive damage, perhaps, dislodge thousands of people, and maybe even claim some lives."

Show me who has said such things. I don't know ANYONE that's hoping lives are claimed, or for massive damage. I think most people are hoping for a day off out of the ordinary, and if not that enjoy seeing nature do a bit of huffing and puffing. I for one enjoy a good storm, but that's knowing that everyone's safe and not venturing into it if they don't need to. But if you're sure you're correct, point us to a comment on the Philippines' typhoons that says, "Cool!", or, "bit of a let down", or something of the sort. Point is you won't, and no one is wishing for that kind of thing.

Relax, and so long as you're safe and warm (and dry) enjoy the fact that you can listen to nature at some of its best, and the fact that it still calls the shots regardless of how much WE huff and puff.

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I still think hurricanes are worse.

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I'm beginning to wonder if the Japanese have any idea at all what a typhoon really is. They give relentless coverage and fearful warnings, yet all you ever see is just a little extra rain. Even their reporters out in the field, are simply exposed to a bit of rain, and they harp on about how many milimetres have fallen. What a complete waste of time ! So that's why some of us gaijins would like to see some real 'action'.

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A hurricane is a typhoon that happens somewhere else.

My town gets very few typhoons blowing through, yet we've still had our share of trees blown down, garden sheds blown over and roofs blown off. There'll be no complaints from me if this one doesn't live up to the relentless coverage and fearful warnings. Don't need no 'real action' from typhoons, thank you very much.

As I write the wind is getting up outside. Gaahh

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I'll give this one some credit though. The wind is blowing and the rain is heavy over here in Ueno. Come on Baby... Bring it on !

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tokyonice: "I'm beginning to wonder if the Japanese have any idea at all what a typhoon really is."

They do, and have learned the hard way many times. I have a few friends who have lost loved ones in typhoons, and they don't deserve to be laughed at or told they don't know what a typhoon really is.

"They give relentless coverage and fearful warnings, yet all you ever see is just a little extra rain."

Japan is no stranger to media hype, to be sure, but one reason you see less damage done in Japan is because there are better, stronger buildings (in most cases, not all), and perhaps even BECAUSE of countless warnings by the media.

Of course, you can never really know what's coming -- the people in Manilla didn't expect, I'm sure, a month's rain in six hours -- and I suppose it's better to hunker down and be ready. The alternative is to say, "What an awful storm" while looking at damage that could have been prevented through information.

Anyway, I'm not saying more deaths/damage can always be prevented, but in storms like these they can be. True, it's not as bad as they've been making out, and most news seems to be changing its tone, but I'd rather have that than hear it's nothing big and the top of houses flying off.

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I just hope we don't have any ojiisans climbing up to fix the roof in the middle of the storm, or going out to 'check on the fields', or younger fools going off to watch the killer waves.

Stay home, stay safe. And laugh about it all afterwards.

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mmm, the typhoon is north of us or we are in the eye, no trees down on my stroll to the conbini. My dwelling is well protected from wind but it was whipping. GOOD MORNING TOKYO!

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How do I find out if the trains (especially mine this morning) are cancelled? How do I find out if my university has cancelled classes?

Train lines out of Tokyo-eki: Tokaido (cancelled for sure as it stops at every excuse), and the Yokosuka-sen.

University: Meiji Gakuin in Totsuka.

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It's already been downgraded to tropical storm status and there is no more rain falling in Kanto.

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Oh look, it isn't even raining. The sun is coming out, but the ground is a bit wet. What a terrible natural disaster we all just went through.

So, about that bet...

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Has the typhoon passed? It never came???? I am so confused, I was bracing for the the most terrible typhoon in 15 years.

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Ranger Miffy, you might try the JR East Information page (though it's down at the moment) or http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/index.html, but that's not loading at the moment either.

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How do I find out if the trains (especially mine this morning) are cancelled? How do I find out if my university has cancelled classes?

On the JR East website here - http://traininfo.jreast.co.jp/train_info/kanto.aspx

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From my balcony I haven't seen any Shonan Shinjuku, Yokosuka, Yamanote, NEX or Saikyo lines going past in the last 40 minutes, so I'm presuming they are all stopped.

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All the overland trains going in to Shimbashi eki have stopped. you cant even buy a ticket. You can get an apology from a guy with a megaphone standing 1 foot away from you though! Subway lines are all going but prepare for an unpleasant journey....

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