Hundreds of flights have been cancelled as Japan faces wrath of the strongest typhoon in 25 years. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged people to "evacuate early" and ordered his government to take all necessary measures to protect residents.
Wind gusts of up to 216km (134 mph) are expected across parts of western Japan now the storm has made landfall.
Warnings about possible landslides, flooding and violent winds, as well as high tides, lightening and tornadoes were issued in a swath of western Japan including the major cities of Osaka and Kyoto.
Television footage showed waves pounding the coastline amid warnings that high tides later on Tuesday would coincide with the storm’s passage.
Wind gusts of up to 166 km/h (103 mph) were recorded in one part of Shikoku, with forecasts for gusts as high as 216 km/h (135 mph).
The enormous storm, whose name means “swallow” in Korean, brought down traditional-style wooden houses and power poles. Primary and middle schools in affected areas are closed for safety reasons, while regional businesses also reacted quickly, with a major railway firm and Universal Studios Japan in Osaka shutting down for Tuesday.
Japan is currently in its annual typhoon season, and is regularly struck by major storm systems during the summer and autumn.
The country has been sweating through a record, deadly heatwave that was preceded by record rainfall in parts of western and central Japan that killed over 200 people.
