The western Japanese coast was lashed with powerful winds and torrential rains as typhoon Halong made landfall in the Kouchi prefecture.
The tropical storm dumped a metre of rain in an hour. The authorities warned the public that it could trigger landslides or major floods.
(SOUNDBITE) (Japanese) JAPANESE DISASTER PREVENTION MINISTER, KEIJI FURUYA, SAYING:
"We're concerned about the softened ground due to the record-breaking rain in the region, and we don't even know yet the full extent of the damage as the typhoon is still passing through Japan. I strongly urge strict caution on the possible landslides that can cause direct human damage."
More than one and a half million people were told to evacuate their homes as winds of up to 180km/h slowly moved north-east.
At least one person was killed, washed away in a raging river, while a surfer was missing off the coast. More than 40 were injured.
The typhoon also caused major transport problems.
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