Japan in September 2026: the most important developments in society
In September 2026, Japanese society was shaped by severe weather. Typhoon Dujuan reached eastern Japan on September 21 with heavy rain, strong winds, floods and landslides. About 1.6 million people were urged to evacuate and 275 flights were cancelled. The death toll rose from one to four and then to 10 by September 23, with four people still missing, and about 45,000 houses lost power; more than 10,000 homes in eastern Japan were still without power on September 25. Wind gusts were forecast to reach 180 km/h before landfall, and organizers closed Asia's largest video game fair early. Typhoon No. 25 and later Typhoon No. 26 also approached the country, and JR East said damage from Typhoon No. 25 was among the worst it had recorded.
Earlier in the month, heavy rain on September 7 and 8 killed a woman in a flooded car in Fukushima, put about 400,000 people at risk from landslides, and flooded parts of Nagoya. Level 5 emergency warnings were issued for the Izu Islands and for landslides in Kagoshima. Tokyo recorded rain on 34 consecutive days, the longest streak since records began in 1886. Flooding in Chiba swept away around 100,000 carp. Mt. Tokachi in Hokkaido was raised to volcanic alert Level 3 on September 12 without evacuation orders.
Immigration rules were the main policy topic. Japan overhauled its permanent residency rules on September 30, and Prime Minister Takaichi called for sweeping changes to immigration rules. Tokyo's immigration bureau reported a surge in applications ahead of planned fee increases, and some foreign residents said they were reconsidering whether to stay.
Other items included the centenarian population passing 100,000 for the first time on September 16, and Japan ranking 117th in the global gender gap report, last among the Group of Seven. Memorial ceremonies marked 103 years since the Great Kanto Earthquake, and the US military acknowledged PFAS contamination at bases in Okinawa. The government issued guidance on bear spray amid a rise in bear attacks.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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