Is It Safe To Travel To Japan After Typhoon Dujuan?

As Japan assesses damage from Typhoon Dujuan, which brought deadly flooding, landslides and widespread transport disruption around Tokyo during the busy Silver Week holidays, many prospective visitors are weighing whether it is still safe to travel to the country in the coming days and weeks.

What Typhoon Dujuan Changed On The Ground

Typhoon Dujuan, known domestically as Typhoon No. 25, swept across eastern Japan in the days leading up to September 23, 2026, delivering record rainfall to parts of the Kanto region and the Izu Islands. Published tallies in Japanese media indicate at least nine deaths and several people missing in areas around Tokyo, particularly in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, after landslides and flash floods destroyed homes and inundated streets.

Reports from disaster-monitoring organizations describe more than 800 millimeters of rain falling in parts of eastern Japan over 48 hours, triggering slope failures and river flooding. Hundreds of houses were damaged across Chiba, Kanagawa and Ibaraki, with some communities facing prolonged clean-up and infrastructure checks before normal life fully resumes.

By the evening of September 22, Japan’s Meteorological Agency reported that the storm’s center had moved northeast, away from the Pacific coast. However, residual heavy rain, saturated ground and swollen rivers have kept landslide and flood risks elevated in some local pockets, especially in hilly and coastal districts that saw the most intense downpours.

For most major urban areas, including central Tokyo and Yokohama, daily activity has been returning, but short-term disruption in affected neighborhoods is still visible in damaged roads, localized power cuts and ongoing rescue and repair work.

Impact On Flights, Trains And Holiday Travel

The storm hit during Silver Week, a cluster of public holidays that is typically one of Japan’s busiest domestic travel periods. Publicly available airline data and Japanese broadcaster coverage show that Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways jointly canceled several hundred domestic flights over the course of the storm, largely on routes to and from Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita airports and regional airports in the Kanto area.

Earlier typhoons in the 2026 season had already led to more than 140 cancellations in a single day on some routes, and Dujuan followed a similar pattern, with airlines preemptively grounding flights to avoid dangerous wind and rain conditions. Rail operators also announced temporary suspensions or reduced timetables on some local and limited express lines in Kanto when rainfall totals rose and landslide warnings were issued.

As of September 23, most airport and long-distance rail operations have resumed, according to flight and train status boards. Travelers arriving in the coming days are likely to find that core services on the Shinkansen high-speed network and at major airports are operating broadly as normal, although residual delays are still possible on lines that pass through heavily affected districts.

Those planning imminent trips should be prepared for last-minute schedule changes, especially on regional flights and local trains in eastern Honshu. Travel waivers and rebooking options are generally being offered in line with each carrier’s standard typhoon policies, but precise options depend on the original booking and fare type.

Current Safety Assessments For Travelers

Despite the severity of Typhoon Dujuan, overall country-level travel advisories for Japan have not shifted to high-risk levels. The United States currently rates Japan at Level 1, meaning visitors are advised to exercise normal precautions, according to the State Department’s most recent advisory. That places Japan among the lower-risk destinations globally from a general security standpoint.

Updated guidance from the United Kingdom and Canada continues to highlight Japan’s vulnerability to natural hazards such as typhoons, flooding, earthquakes and landslides, particularly between June and December when tropical cyclone activity is most frequent and especially intense from July to September. However, these advisories continue to support travel, advising visitors to monitor local conditions closely and follow instructions disseminated through official channels.

For those arriving in the aftermath of Dujuan, the main risks are localized rather than nationwide. In parts of Chiba, Kanagawa and other affected prefectures, residual landslide danger, damaged minor roads and ongoing rescue or repair operations can limit access or make conditions less predictable. Travelers with bookings in coastal or rural areas that experienced significant flooding may find some accommodations temporarily closed or offering limited services while inspections are completed.

Major tourism hubs such as central Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto are operating normally, and transport links between them remain intact. Visitors can expect occasional weather-related disruptions as the typhoon season continues, but current information does not suggest a generalized security threat to foreign travelers across Japan.

How To Plan Trips During An Active Typhoon Season

Japan’s tourism authorities emphasize that typhoons are a seasonal reality rather than an exceptional surprise. Official guidance notes that most storms occur between May and October, with heightened likelihood in August and September. Travelers visiting in these months are encouraged to keep their itineraries flexible, particularly in coastal and island regions where ferries, flights and scenic train services are more easily disrupted.

Before travel, visitors can monitor forecasts from the Japan Meteorological Agency and use government-supervised apps such as Safety Tips, which provide multilingual alerts on weather warnings, evacuation notices and major transport disruption. Japan National Tourism Organization materials also point to a 24-hour Japan Visitor Hotline that offers information and support in several languages during natural disasters and medical emergencies.

Travel insurance is an important part of planning. Publicly available policies from major insurers generally offer coverage for trip interruption and cancellation when flights are grounded or destinations are rendered inaccessible by severe weather. However, travelers need to verify whether weather-related disruptions are covered when a storm had already been forecast at the time of purchase, and to keep documentation from airlines and hotels when seeking reimbursement.

On the ground, basic precautions can substantially reduce risk. These include avoiding riverbanks and sea walls during and immediately after heavy rain, staying clear of steep slopes or ravines when landslide warnings are active, and allowing extra time when moving between airports and city centers while emergency clean-up is under way.

Should You Change Your Japan Travel Plans Now?

For travelers with trips scheduled in late September and October 2026, the key question is whether Dujuan signals an ongoing crisis or a serious but time-limited disruption. Current information suggests that while the storm was deadly and destructive in specific areas, its broader impact on national infrastructure has been limited and recovery is progressing. No major long-term closures of international airports or primary rail corridors have been reported.

Visitors with itineraries focused on large cities and established tourist regions that did not experience direct landslide or flood damage are unlikely to need to cancel outright on safety grounds, provided there is no new storm forecast for their exact travel dates. However, those planning rural hikes, coastal stays or island trips in eastern Honshu should contact accommodations and tour operators to confirm that facilities are open and access routes have been inspected.

Given that the typhoon season remains active into October, would-be visitors should stay alert to new tropical systems forming in the western Pacific. If another significant storm is forecast to approach Japan close to departure dates, rechecking airline schedules, reviewing booking conditions and considering flexible tickets may help reduce stress and financial loss.

Overall, publicly available guidance characterizes Japan as a destination where robust infrastructure and extensive disaster-preparedness measures allow travel to resume quickly after major storms, even when local communities suffer serious damage. For most travelers, that means trips can still go ahead with careful monitoring of forecasts, flexible plans and a clear understanding of how to respond if weather conditions change rapidly.