October 1, 2018
Japan braces itself as a powerful typhoon approaches the main islands.
An extremely powerful typhoon was expected to bring violent winds and stormy weather to an extensive area stretching from western to northern Japan on Monday.
Typhoon No. 24 approached the southern Kyushu region Sunday morning and was expected to move past the Shikoku region and land on the Kii Peninsula on Sunday evening. East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced Sunday that it would halt all train services in the Tokyo metropolitan area from 8 p.m. Sunday due to the approaching typhoon.
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) also decided to stop Kodama Shinkansen services from 5 p.m. Sunday, after halting services of the Nozomi and Hikari bullet trains earlier in the day.
In Amami, Kagoshima Prefecture, an 11-meter-high lighthouse at a Naze Port pier was apparently knocked down and washed away into the sea by strong winds and high waves, according to the Amami Coast Guard Office.
It was discovered to be missing by a coast guard official at about 9 a.m. Sunday. There were no abnormalities with the reinforced plastic lighthouse during a check at about 8 p.m. Saturday.