Dust Storms Forecast To Hit Tokyo

Apr 21, 2026 | News On Japan

TOKYO - Rain affected parts of Japan on Tuesday morning as a low-pressure system and front moved through, bringing heavier downpours in some areas. Skies are expected to clear across much of the country this afternoon. However, yellow sand drifting in from the Asian continent is forecast to spread over a wide area, raising concerns over reduced visibility and worsening health conditions.

Yellow sand is expected to affect areas from western Japan to northern Japan through Wednesday. Dust may settle on laundry and other outdoor items, while some people could experience irritation or worsening allergy symptoms. Visibility may also deteriorate, creating the risk of transport disruption.

Sunny conditions are expected to lift temperatures across broad areas. Parts of western and eastern Japan are forecast to reach 25C or higher, marking summer days. Shizuoka is expected to climb to 30C, making it a midsummer day. Residents are being urged to take care in the unseasonal heat.

Forecast highs for major cities are Sapporo 15C, Kushiro 11C, Aomori 17C, Morioka 16C, Sendai 18C, Niigata 17C, Nagano 20C, Kanazawa 19C, Nagoya 23C, Tokyo 24C, Osaka 23C, Okayama 24C, Hiroshima 25C, Matsue 21C, Kochi 25C, Fukuoka 22C, Kagoshima 26C and Naha 26C.

Weather conditions are expected to deteriorate across wide areas later this week. From Thursday, April 23, into Friday, April 24, a low-pressure system with an accompanying front is forecast to move east from western Japan toward the Pacific side of eastern Japan.

Rain is expected to intensify mainly along the Pacific side. Western Japan is likely to see the heaviest rain on Thursday, with some areas facing the possibility of substantial rainfall, thunderstorms and localized downpours.

By Friday, the focus of heavy rain is forecast to shift to eastern Japan, particularly along the Pacific coast, where strong rain could develop through the morning. Some areas may experience heavy rainfall.

Okinawa is also expected to see frequent rain as the front lingers nearby, with unsettled weather likely to continue through the latter half of the week.

Source: TBS

Okinawa Braces for Powerful Typhoon No. 30

Typhoon No. 30 (Champer) was rapidly intensifying east of the Philippines at 3 a.m. on October 21, developing into a large and extremely violent storm with maximum sustained winds of 60 meters per second and gusts reaching 85 meters per second, as forecasters warned of severe weather across Okinawa later this week and potentially heavy rainfall in western Japan early next week.

H3 Rocket Successfully Launches Mars Moon Probe

Japan's H3 rocket successfully launched the Martian Moons eXploration (MMX) spacecraft from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture on the morning of October 20th, placing the probe into its planned orbit in the first stage of a mission to collect samples from one of Mars' moons and return them to Earth.

Japan Introduces Personalized Motorcycle License Plates

Motorcycle owners across Japan can now choose their preferred license plate numbers under a new system introduced by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on October 19th, with popular numbers allocated by lottery and applications costing between 2,500 and 3,000 yen.

Nearly 30% of Large Japanese Companies Report Data Leaks

Nearly one in three large companies in Japan have experienced a data leak or a suspected breach, according to a survey released by Teikoku Databank on October 19th, highlighting growing concerns over corporate information security as unauthorized access incidents continue to affect businesses across the country.

Yokohama Elects New Mayor After Power Harassment Controversy

Atsumi Harasawa, a 59-year-old lawyer making her first bid for mayor, won Yokohama's mayoral election on October 18, defeating former Mayor Takeharu Yamanaka, whose resignation over allegations of workplace bullying prompted the vote.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Autumn Colors Sweep Across Tateyama in Japan's Northern Alps

The Northern Alps in central Japan have entered the height of their autumn colors, with the alpine landscape around Tateyama's Murodo Plateau in Toyama Prefecture offering spectacular views of red and yellow vegetation, rugged mountain ridges and the rare Japanese rock ptarmigan, a protected bird species whose survival depends on the delicate balance of the mountain ecosystem.

Hokkaido Hits Minus 4.3 Degrees as Autumn Chill Spreads Across Japan

Temperatures fell to their lowest levels of the season across much of Japan on the morning of October 18, with Rikubetsu in Hokkaido recording minus 4.3 degrees Celsius, the country's lowest temperature so far this autumn, before sunshine brought warmer conditions during the day and some areas experienced unseasonably hot weather.

Kyoto's 10,000 Yen Tourist Tax: Where Is the Money Going?

Kyoto City expects revenue from its accommodation tax to more than double to approximately 13.2 billion yen this fiscal year following a substantial increase in the maximum nightly levy to 10,000 yen, as the city seeks to address overtourism and ease the pressure that millions of visitors place on residents and public infrastructure.

Two-Ton Shrines Collide at Himeji's Nada Fighting Festival

The Nada Fighting Festival, known for its spectacular collisions between massive portable shrines weighing around two tons, drew large crowds to Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture, on October 15, as participants repeatedly slammed the heavy structures into one another in a traditional ritual believed to please the gods.

Super El Niño Could Bring Japan a Warm Winter After Summer of Typhoons

The El Niño phenomenon developing in the Pacific Ocean has reached its strongest level since records began in 1949, with sea surface temperatures off Peru rising 4 degrees Celsius above normal in September, the Japan Meteorological Agency announced on October 9, raising concerns about extreme weather worldwide and the prospect of an unusually warm winter in Japan.

Disney Imagination Sets Sail for Japan in 2029

Japan's first Disney cruise ship will be named "Disney Imagination," with Oriental Land and its partners planning to launch the service in spring 2029, offering a new Disney-themed travel experience departing from Tokyo.

Osaka's Glico Sign Reaches End of Life

Osaka's iconic Glico sign in Dotonbori will undergo a major renewal next spring after more than a decade of operation, with its current LED display set to be switched off for the final time on November 30.

Typhoon No. 29 Moves Away From Japan but High Waves Remain a Threat

Typhoon No. 29 was moving northward over waters east of Japan at strong intensity as of 10 p.m. on October 12th, with forecasts indicating that the storm will continue moving away from the country and transition into an extratropical cyclone on October 13th, although high waves generated by the typhoon could pose a growing threat along the Pacific coast of northern Japan.

< 2 3 4 5 >