Typhoon Dujuan

Japan Now! Typhoon Dujuan Is Aiming at Japan’s Biggest Fall Holiday in a Decade. What Travelers Need to Know (9/16)

Share This Article

If your Japan trip overlaps with the next week, this is the forecast to watch. Typhoon No. 25, internationally named Dujuan, formed near the Mariana Islands on Tuesday night and is strengthening as it tracks toward Japan, with the Ogasawara Islands in its path Friday into Saturday and, depending on its course, eastern Japan including the Tokyo area exposed early next week. The timing could hardly be worse: it collides with Silver Week, Japan’s five-day autumn holiday, the first of its kind in over a decade, when tens of millions of people travel at once.

Two features make this system worth respecting. First, its size: Dujuan is classified as a “large” typhoon, with gale-force winds extending as far as 950 kilometers from its center on the north side, meaning its effects arrive long before, and far beyond, the eye. As of early September 17, it measured 996 hPa with gusts to 30 m/s, and the Japan Meteorological Agency projects intensification to 980 hPa with gusts near 40 m/s (about 90 mph) by Friday night as it nears Ogasawara. Second, the setup over the mainland: an autumn rain front is stalled across Japan, and as the typhoon pushes north, its humid air will pump into that front like fuel, so parts of eastern and western Japan may see intensifying rain days before the typhoon itself is anywhere close. Forecasters warn total rainfall could become substantial in some regions depending on the final track, which is still ranging widely; official forecasts beyond September 22 have not yet been issued.

Weathernews summed up the situation: “After approaching the Ogasawara Islands on Friday the 18th through Saturday the 19th, the typhoon may approach eastern Japan, including Kanto, during the five-day Silver Week holiday. Please stay alert to future track updates.”

The playbook, refined by this summer’s disasters, applies again. Check forecasts daily rather than once: track projections for Dujuan are still shifting, and the difference between an offshore pass and a landfall is enormous. If you have Shinkansen or domestic flights booked September 20-23, watch for advance suspension announcements; Japanese carriers and JR typically announce planned service reductions a day or more ahead, and both airlines and JR generally waive change fees when storms disrupt schedules. Build a buffer day before any international flight home. For live information in English, NHK World covers major disruptions, the free JNTO “Safety tips” app pushes weather alerts to your phone, and Yahoo! Japan’s weather and disaster pages are what locals themselves refresh. Ogasawara-bound travelers should treat Friday through the weekend as a no-go for sea travel. And if the storm does close in on Kanto, the standard rules hold: indoor plans on the peak day, charged phones, and no typhoon-watching at the coast. This is the third major weather event we have covered since July, after the record heat and the Chiba floods that stranded thousands at Narita; the pattern of 2026 is that Japan’s weather deserves a seat at your planning table.

We will update this article as the track firms up. As of publication, the honest summary is: Ogasawara, prepare now; eastern Japan, watch closely; everyone with Silver Week plans, hold them loosely.

FAQ

Q: What is Typhoon Dujuan and when will it affect Japan?
A: Typhoon No. 25 of 2026, which formed September 16 near the Mariana Islands. It is forecast to approach the Ogasawara Islands with storm-force winds September 18-19, and may draw near eastern Japan, including the Kanto region, during the September 19-23 Silver Week holiday. The track beyond September 22 is not yet finalized.

Q: Will it hit Tokyo?
A: Uncertain as of publication. Forecast scenarios range from an offshore pass east of Kanto around September 20-21 to closer approaches affecting Tohoku through Kinki. Heavy rain is possible across eastern and western Japan regardless, due to a stalled autumn front fed by the typhoon’s moisture.

Q: What is Silver Week?
A: Japan’s autumn holiday cluster around Respect for the Aged Day and the Autumnal Equinox. In 2026 it forms a rare five-day holiday (September 19-23), the first since 2015, making it one of the year’s busiest travel periods.

Q: What should travelers do now?
A: Monitor forecasts daily, watch for advance train and flight suspension notices if traveling September 20-23, keep plans flexible with buffer time before international departures, and use NHK World and the JNTO “Safety tips” app for English-language alerts.

Japan Now! is our daily series bringing you the trends, news, and cultural moments happening in Japan right now. For anyone curious about Japan, check back every day to stay in the know. You never know when it might come in handy on your next trip!

Related Articles

wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Typhoon

Share This Article

READ NEW MAGAZINE