Typhoon Shanshan hit Kagoshima prefecture with winds reaching up to 198 km per hour, prompting local authorities to issue evacuation orders for millions of residents across several prefectures.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi reported that in addition to the three fatalities, one person was missing, two were critically injured, and five others sustained minor injuries. "As this typhoon is moving slowly, total amount of rain could be rather big," Hayashi said during a press briefing.
The storm's impact led to power outages affecting over 250,000 households in seven prefectures, according to Kyushu Electric Power Co. Public broadcaster NHK aired footage showing extensive damage to buildings in Miyazaki city, with debris scattered across streets and hanging from utility poles.
Major Japanese automakers, including global car manufacturers Toyota and Nissan, halted operations at some or all of their domestic facilities due to the severe weather conditions.
The typhoon is expected to linger over Kyushu for several days before moving towards central and eastern regions, including Tokyo, around the weekend, as reported by the weather agency.
Airlines have already canceled more than 600 domestic flights, while train services in numerous areas of Kyushu have been suspended, further disrupting transportation across the affected regions.
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