Record rainfall in Japan’s Chiba prefecture killed at least eight people and stranded thousands of travelers at Tokyo’s Narita airport on Friday, marking the heaviest 24-hour deluge in the region since records began in 2013.More than 367 millimeters of rain fell in a single day across parts of Chiba, exceeding the previous record of 309 millimeters set in October 2013. The torrent flooded roads, railways and a power substation, knocking out electricity to more than 20,000 homes and temporarily cutting gas supply to nearly 13,000.
Stranded Travelers at Narita
At Narita airport, one of Japan’s busiest international hubs, around 7,000 passengers were trapped overnight after transport links collapsed. Airport staff distributed sleeping bags, water and snacks to stranded travelers, many of whom had nowhere else to go. “I queued for a taxi, but the wait was four hours,” said Minoru Yamasaki, a 48-year-old Chiba resident returning from holiday. “I booked a hotel only to be told it could not put me up.”The chaos struck during Obon, one of Japan’s busiest travel periods, when millions of people typically travel to visit family. Major highways in Chiba were shut by flooding, forcing drivers onto alternative routes that clogged traffic across the region. Several rail services were suspended, though some services from Narita to Tokyo resumed on Friday, easing congestion.
Deadly Floodwaters
Among the eight killed was one person trapped in a submerged vehicle, according to public broadcaster NHK, citing Chiba authorities and police. In Chiba city, one of the worst-hit areas, hundreds of people spent the night under foil blankets at makeshift evacuation centers in government buildings. Soldiers were deployed to assist rescue efforts across the affected zone.
Unprecedented Scale
Chiba Governor Toshihito Kumagai called the event “extremely unusual,” telling reporters: “I have responded to many disasters in the past, but I have never experienced a case like this.” The downpour was linked to a weakening typhoon system that dumped concentrated moisture over the Kanto region, overwhelming drainage infrastructure that had never been tested at this scale. Tokyo Electric Power Company confirmed that a flooded power substation was the primary cause of the widespread blackouts, while gas utility providers cut supply as a precaution against potential leaks from damaged infrastructure.
Recovery Underway
By Friday, most flights at Narita were expected to operate normally, though rail and road recovery continued into the weekend. The event has renewed calls in Japan for stronger climate adaptation measures, as extreme weather events grow more frequent across the archipelago. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that saturated ground in the Chiba region could trigger further landslides in the coming days, even after the rainfall subsides.
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