Typhoon No. 9 Threatens Direct Hit on Okinawa This Weekend

Jul 08, 2026 | News On Japan

NAHA - Large and very strong Typhoon No. 9 (Bavi) may directly hit Okinawa Prefecture this weekend, with disaster-level winds strong enough to damage homes expected as the storm approaches the Sakishima Islands. The typhoon, currently east of the Philippines, is moving west and is expected to come closest to Okinawa Prefecture from Friday night while carrying a storm zone. The Sakishima Islands, including Ishigaki Island, face the risk of a direct hit.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, Typhoon No. 9 was located east of the Philippines at 9 a.m. on July 8 and was moving west at 20 kilometers per hour. Its central pressure was 925 hectopascals, indicating that it had strengthened further from observations three hours earlier. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 50 meters per second near its center and maximum instantaneous gusts of 70 meters per second, keeping it in the large and very strong category.

The typhoon is forecast to move west to northwest while maintaining very strong intensity. It is expected to approach the Sakishima Islands on Friday, July 10, and then move northwest near the island chain around Saturday, July 11, while retaining roughly its current strength and storm zone. Forecast uncertainty in its track is relatively small, making this course increasingly likely.

Winds in Okinawa Prefecture are expected to strengthen gradually from July 9, bringing the risk of strong winds and high waves. The weather agency is urging residents to complete preparations early.

Around the Sakishima Islands, conditions are expected to deteriorate from the latter half of July 9, with the area likely to enter the typhoon's storm zone for an extended period. Violent winds, heavy rain and severely rough weather are expected. The peak of rain and wind is forecast from Friday night through Saturday morning, after rain clouds associated with the typhoon begin covering Okinawa on July 9.

Maximum instantaneous gusts of 70 meters per second are forecast, raising the risk of disaster-level winds that could blow roofs off buildings and potentially cause homes to collapse. Residents are urged to remain on strict alert and stay in safe places as the typhoon approaches.

Seas are already rising across the Nansei Islands as swells from the typhoon move into the region. Wave heights around Okinawa are expected to reach 2.5 meters or higher as the storm approaches, rising to rough seas of 4 meters or more by the latter half of July 9. From the night of July 9 into July 10 and beyond, waves of 6 meters or higher are expected, creating very rough sea conditions.

Even while the typhoon remains some distance away, sudden high waves may reach a wide area along the Pacific coast from western Japan to eastern Japan. Because the typhoon is large, its effects could spread across a broad region.

Residents and travelers are urged to monitor the latest typhoon information, finish preparations early and avoid coastal and marine activities as conditions worsen.

Source: ウェザーニュース

GMO Offers 150 Million Yen Reward to Identify Cyberattackers

GMO has announced a reward totaling approximately 150 million yen for information leading to the identification of hackers responsible for a cyberattack on its systems, while also pledging compensation to customers whose personal information has been exposed, as Japan faces a growing wave of cyberattacks targeting major companies.

Typhoon 31 Expected to Approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands This Weekend

Powerful Typhoon 31, known internationally as In-fa, is forecast to approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands over the weekend, potentially bringing destructive winds, heavy rain and dangerous seas, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency's latest advisory verified at 3:50 a.m. on October 28, with the storm expected to remain near the islands into early November.

Typhoon Threatens Island Flights and Ferry Services

Typhoon No. 31 is raising concerns about flight cancellations and ferry disruptions across the western Pacific later this week, with the Japan Meteorological Agency's 12:45 a.m. advisory on October 28 showing the very strong storm moving west toward the Mariana Islands before approaching Japan's Ogasawara Islands over the weekend.

Controversial Penalty Decision Ends Tokyo High School Soccer Match

A controversial penalty shootout decision during the Tokyo qualifiers for Japan's National High School Soccer Championship on October 24 has sparked debate after a team that believed it had secured victory was forced to continue playing and eventually lost, raising questions about whether a hole in the goal net contributed to an incorrect ruling.

Kanagawa Maglev Station Platform Unveiled for First Time

The underground platform of the planned Kanagawa Prefecture Station on Japan's Chuo Shinkansen maglev line was opened to the public for the first time on October 24, offering visitors a rare glimpse of the high-speed railway project under construction in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, with demand for the tour exceeding available places by approximately 12 times.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Travel NEWS

Japan's Tax-Free Shopping Overhaul to Reshape Inbound Tourism Strategies

Japan will introduce a major overhaul of its tax-free shopping system for foreign visitors on November 1, replacing immediate tax exemptions at stores with a refund system that requires travelers to pay the full consumption tax upfront and claim reimbursement when leaving the country, a change expected to reshape retail strategies and purchasing behavior across the tourism industry.

Chiba Town Suffers Three Weeks of Flooding

Heavy rain linked to former Typhoon No. 30 continued to affect large parts of Japan on October 26, with authorities warning of potentially dangerous rainfall from the Kanto region to Shikoku, raising concerns in Chiba Prefecture's Shisui Town, where flooding caused by Typhoon No. 25 last month left homes and roads submerged for nearly three weeks.

Asuka Village Tackles Overtourism After World Heritage Listing

Asuka Village in Nara Prefecture is introducing new measures to control rising visitor numbers following the July 2026 World Heritage registration of the 'Asuka-Fujiwara: Archaeological Sites of Japan's Ancient Capitals,' seeking to protect its historic landscapes and residents' daily lives while benefiting from growing international interest.

Kanagawa Maglev Station Platform Unveiled for First Time

Autumn Festivals Continue Across Japan

Japan marked the final Sunday of October with traditional autumn events across the country on October 25, including a spectacular water discharge drill at the World Heritage site of Shirakawa-go in Gifu Prefecture, a seasonal salmon feast in Miyagi Prefecture, and a parade of northeastern Japan's most famous festivals in Tokyo, despite widespread rain caused by a stationary autumn rain front.

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.

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.

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.

< 2 3 4 5 >