At least one dead as record rainfall strikes Tokyo, Japan

Heavy rains and severe flooding struck Tokyo, Japan on Thursday, with the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issuing multiple “record-breaking short-duration heavy rain” advisories through the day.

At least one fatality was reported due to the record rainfall. Police said the two men were crushed when several stacked containers collapsed at a port in Tokyo’s Ota Ward due to the severe weather.

One of the men, in his 40s, who had been operating heavy machinery to lift the containers, was pronounced dead at the scene. His colleague, in his 60s, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Tokyo’s Setagaya ward saw 92 mm (3.6 inches) of rain and Ota ward 88.5 mm (3.4 inches) in a single hour in the afternoon of Thursday, the heaviest one hour rainfall on record for the areas since record bagan in 1976, said the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The heaviest rainfall was recorded in Meguro ward, where gauges measured 134 mm (5.3 inches) in one hour to 15:20 LT. Ōta ward reported 110–122 mm (4.3–4.8 inches) during the same period, while Setagaya reached more than 100 mm (4 inches). Central Tokyo saw about 120 mm (5 inches) of rainfall within one hour.

The intense rainfall led to river overflows, including the Yazawa and Tachiai rivers, and widespread street flooding. Evacuation advisories were issued for more than 1 200 households in affected wards, with local governments warning of landslides and additional flooding.

Power outages were extensive, with 6 240 customers being out of power by Thursday evening, in the Kanto region and surrounding areas. This includes 4 230 in Tokyo, predominantly in Shinagawa, Ota and Meguro wards, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings.

Transport services were disrupted amid the heavy rainfall. Japan Railway (JR) Tokai said Shinkansen services between Tokyo and neighbouring Kanagawa prefecture were temporarily suspended, affecting around 100 000 passengers. JR East reported delays to some trains in the capital.

Operations at Haneda Airport were temporarily suspended as ground services halted during lightning strikes. Shinkansen services between Tokyo and Shin-Yokohama were suspended, and multiple local rail lines were disrupted as rainfall exceeded regulatory thresholds.

References:

¹ 1時間降水量の日最大値（10地点) – JMA – accessed on September 11, 2025

Rishav Kothari

I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.

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