Record-breaking rainfall has left thousands of travellers stranded at Tokyo’s Narita Airport after severe flooding disrupted transport, cut electricity to homes and claimed at least four lives in Japan.
More than 360 millimetres of rain fell within 24 hours in parts of Chiba prefecture, which borders Tokyo. The extreme weather inundated roads and railway lines and caused power outages affecting nearly 25,000 households during one of Japan’s busiest holiday periods.
Authorities confirmed that at least four people had died, including one person who was reportedly trapped inside a submerged vehicle. Soldiers have also been deployed to the affected areas to assist with relief and recovery operations.
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai described the situation as highly unusual, even by Japan’s standards for extreme weather. He said he had responded to numerous disasters in the past but had never experienced a situation of this scale.
The flooding caused major disruption around Narita Airport, leaving around 7,000 travellers stranded, according to an airport spokesperson. Despite the disruption, all flights were scheduled to operate as normal on Friday.
Japan Airlines said some flights could face delays but that no cancellations were expected at the time. However, severe congestion and disruption on surrounding transport networks continued to affect passengers trying to reach or leave the airport.
Several major highways in Chiba remained closed, including routes connecting Narita Airport, one of Japan’s key international transport hubs, with central Tokyo. Highway operator NEXCO East said the closures had forced motorists to use alternative routes, resulting in heavy traffic.
Rail services were also disrupted, with several routes remaining suspended on Friday morning. Some train services connecting Narita Airport with Tokyo had resumed, but transport operations continued to be affected by the flooding.
The extreme rainfall came during a particularly busy holiday travel period in Japan, adding further pressure to already congested transport networks as authorities worked to restore access and assist those affected by the flooding.
