Key facts
- Record rainfall in Japan led to severe flooding, killing eight people and leaving one missing.
- Thousands of travelers were stranded at Tokyo's Narita airport and Soga train station.
- The floods disrupted transportation and caused power outages affecting approximately 23,000 homes.
- Over 80 homes were flooded in Chiba prefecture, with nearly 230,000 residents advised to seek shelter.
Record-breaking rainfall in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, has led to severe flooding, resulting in at least eight deaths and one person missing. The torrential downpour inundated roads, dozens of homes, and parts of railway tracks, causing widespread damage and stranding thousands of travelers at Soga train station and Narita airport. The Ground Self-Defense Force deployed buses to assist approximately 4,000 people at the Soga station. While many flights at Narita were operating normally by Friday morning with delays, train services remained disrupted. Authorities reported that over 80 homes were flooded in Chiba prefecture, and nearly 230,000 residents were advised to seek shelter. Power outages affected about 23,000 homes on Friday morning, a decrease from earlier figures. The Japan Meteorological Agency downgraded its most severe heavy rain warnings for several municipalities in Chiba as the rain subsided, though further rain was forecast.