Record Rainfall Kills Five in Japan, Strands Thousands at Narita Airport

At least five people have died and thousands of travellers have been stranded after record-breaking rainfall triggered severe flooding across eastern Japan, inundating large parts of Chiba Prefecture and disrupting transport services during one of the country’s busiest holiday travel periods.

Torrential rain swept through areas east of Tokyo on Thursday, prompting authorities to issue their highest-level emergency warnings for flooding and landslides. The Japan Meteorological Agency described the weather event as unprecedented, with some locations receiving more than 360 millimetres of rain within a 24-hour period, surpassing previous records for the region.

The heavy downpour flooded roads, railways and residential neighbourhoods, leaving thousands of residents and travellers stranded. Narita International Airport, one of Japan’s main aviation hubs, saw around 7,000 passengers forced to spend the night inside terminals after rail and road links to the airport were cut off by floodwaters. Airport staff distributed sleeping bags, drinking water and food supplies to affected travellers as authorities worked to restore transport connections.

Officials said the fatalities included people trapped in vehicles by rapidly rising floodwaters, while another victim was found on a submerged roadway. Several others were injured, and emergency teams continued search and rescue operations in affected communities. Soldiers from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces were deployed to assist local authorities in relief efforts and help stranded residents reach safer locations.

The extreme weather also caused widespread power outages. Tens of thousands of homes lost electricity after floodwaters damaged critical infrastructure, while gas supplies were temporarily disrupted in several areas. Hundreds of residents sought shelter in government buildings and evacuation centres as authorities urged people living near rivers and landslide-prone zones to move to safer locations.

Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the flooding as an extraordinarily rare disaster, saying the scale of the rainfall was unlike anything he had encountered in previous emergencies. Residents also spoke of being caught off guard by the sudden intensity of the storm. Although rainfall eased on Friday, weather officials warned that flood risks and potential landslides remained a concern. Authorities have urged residents to remain vigilant as recovery efforts continue and assessments of the damage get underway across the region.