By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-09-25 08:46:47 | Updated at 2026-09-25 10:52:50
2 hours ago
CHIBA, Japan – More than 10,000 homes in Chiba prefecture, which neighbours Tokyo, remained without power on Sept 25 after Typhoon Dujuan brought record rainfall to eastern Japan earlier this week.
TEPCO Power Grid warned the outages could continue for an extended period, as roads have been blocked by landslides and fallen trees across wide areas, preventing crews in some locations from even inspecting damaged facilities.
Dozens of homes in Kanagawa prefecture nearby were also without power on
Sept 25
, the utility said.
In Chiba prefecture, about 2,700 households had no running water as of noon
on Sept 24
, according to prefectural authorities.
The storm also breached some levees at Lake Imbanuma in northern Chiba prefecture, flooding homes and rice paddies across an extensive area. With another typhoon approaching, the infrastructure ministry said on Sept 25 that it aims to complete emergency repairs and the draining of inundated areas within about a week.
The lake’s water level stood at about 3m as of 7am on Sept 25. The ministry plans to use drainage pumps to bring it back to its normal level of 2.3m by Sept 26 at the earliest.
Tatsunori Ibayashi, Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, told a press conference on Sept 25 that the ministry would work with the prefecture and the Japan Water Agency on the recovery effort, pledging to “do everything we can”.
Shoji Sakuma, 63, who runs his own business in Ichihara, where the power outage is affecting more households than in any other city in Chiba, said his home had been without electricity since the evening of Sept 21. His solar panels provided some power, but not enough.
“It’s hot and I can’t use the air conditioner, so I plan to sleep in my car,” he said. His home was also without running water, and it remains unclear when either service will be restored.
In Kimitsu, where water outages continued across a wide area, Ayumi Kono, 32, carried about 60 litres of water home from a distribution point.
Kono has used paper plates and disposable chopsticks to conserve water, but said: “The toilet is the biggest problem.”
The typhoon has left 11 people dead – seven in Chiba prefecture and four in Kanagawa – and three missing. KYODO NEWS
