Dujuan Over the Pacific, Tokyo Watches the Clouds as Silver Week Approaches Beneath Heavy Rain

The holiday calendar in Japan was approaching a rare stretch of consecutive days when the weather began to change the atmosphere. Over the Pacific, Tropical Storm Dujuan was moving toward the islands, with eastern Japan increasingly within its forecast path.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said Dujuan was expected to approach eastern Japan during Silver Week, bringing heavy rain, strong winds and high waves to the Tokyo region.

As of Friday afternoon, the storm was about 170 kilometers south-southeast of Chichijima in the Ogasawara Islands and moving west-northwest at around 35 kilometers per hour. Its central pressure was 975 hectopascals, with maximum sustained winds near 108 kilometers per hour and gusts reaching 162 kilometers per hour.

The storm was expected to pass near the Ogasawara Islands before turning north toward the Izu Islands. Forecasts indicated that it could then approach the Pacific coast of eastern Japan between Sunday and Monday.

Rainfall was expected to be substantial in several areas. The JMA forecast as much as 250 millimeters in the Ogasawara Islands during a 24-hour period through Saturday, followed by potentially 200 millimeters around the Izu Islands and up to 150 millimeters in parts of the Kanto region.

The wind and sea conditions were also expected to deteriorate. Waves around the Ogasawara Islands could reach 7 meters, while the Izu Islands could see waves approaching 7 meters as the storm moved northward. Along the Kanto coast, waves of up to 6 meters were forecast for Sunday.

The JMA warned of possible flooding in low-lying areas, swollen rivers and landslides. Heavy rain was also possible along parts of the Pacific coast stretching from Tokai toward northeastern Japan.

The timing placed the storm close to Japan’s Silver Week holiday period, when many people typically travel across the country. Weather conditions can affect transportation, coastal activities and travel schedules, particularly when strong winds and high waves accompany heavy rainfall.

By Tuesday, Dujuan was forecast to accelerate northeastward and move away from Japan over the Pacific. Until then, however, eastern Japan remained under close observation as forecasts continued to develop.

The approaching storm illustrates how quickly a holiday landscape can change beneath the movement of a tropical system. For Tokyo and surrounding regions, the next few days were set to be shaped not only by plans on the calendar, but also by the changing sky above them.

IMAGE DISCLAIMER

Illustrations were created using AI tools and are not real photographs of Tropical Storm Dujuan or its actual path.

SOURCES

The Japan Times Japan Meteorological Agency