Extensive railway disruption continued across Chiba Prefecture on September 23 as JR East warned that several lines damaged by Typhoon No. 25 would remain closed beyond the Silver Week holiday, even as flights returned toward normal, all typhoon-related expressway closures were lifted and some highway bus services resumed. The storm has left widespread damage to railway tracks and embankments, with flooding, landslides and fallen trees complicating restoration work.
The death toll from Typhoon No. 25 rose to nine on September 23, with four people still missing in Chiba and Kanagawa prefectures, as renewed rainfall raised fears of further landslides in communities devastated by the storm.
A phone booth that converts the voice of the person on the other end of a call into real-time text has been installed at Haneda Airport for four days, offering visitors a glimpse of technology designed for people who have difficulty hearing telephone conversations.
Peach Aviation began scheduled flights between Narita Airport and South Korea's Incheon International Airport on September 20, marking the low-cost carrier's first new international route from Narita in seven years.
Japan's Silver Week began on September 19 with five consecutive days off for the first time in 11 years, drawing crowds to food and festival events across the country despite rainy weather in the Kanto region as Typhoon No. 25 approached.
Volcanic smoke continues to rise from Mount Tokachi (Tokachidake), an active volcano in Daisetsuzan National Park in Hokkaido, one week after its eruption alert level was raised to Level 3, restricting entry to the mountain and prompting a series of cancellations at nearby hot spring inns just before the peak autumn foliage season.
The Kyushu Shinkansen will resume operations along its entire route on September 18 after suffering extensive track and other damage in the Kumamoto earthquake, raising hopes that the long-awaited restoration will help revive tourism in disaster-hit areas ahead of the Silver Week holiday period.
A black bear has been spotted near one of the most popular hiking trails on Mount Takao in western Tokyo, prompting authorities to urge visitors to take precautions ahead of the five-day Silver Week holiday and the approaching autumn foliage season.