Typhoons in Japan
Typhoons occur very often in Japan. On average, they happen about 17 times a year. The hardest hit regions are Kyūshū, Chūbu and Chūgoku.The typhoon season in the Pacific usually begins with less severe storms in April and does not end until November. The most severe typhoons usually occur in August and September.
The most severe typhoon to make landfall in Japan in the past 12 months was »Nanmadol«. It reached a wind speed of up to 183 km/h on September 18, 2022 at 12:00 pm local time near Nishinoomote and was 9 kilometers in diameter at the time. According to the internationally accepted Saffir-Simpson classification, this corresponded to a category 3 typhoon. On the open sea, speeds of up to 248 km/h were measured (category 4).
Other natural hazards in Japan:
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Back to overview: Japan
Current satellite image of the western Pacific
28.05.2023 © CIMSS University of Wisconsin-Madison
Most violent typhoons in Japan since 2018
Nanmadol: September 12-19, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 248 km/h
on land:
max. 183 km/h
Diameter:
max. 926 km
Air pressure:
below 917 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Chūbu
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Chūbu
Muifa: September 6-16, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 213 km/h
on land:
max. 172 km/h
Diameter:
max. 889 km
Air pressure:
below 942 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
Hinnamnor: August 28 to September 6, 2022
Wind speed:
max. 256 km/h
on land:
max. 165 km/h
Diameter:
max. 344 km
Air pressure:
below 915 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
Mindulle: September 22 to October 2, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 267 km/h
Diameter:
max. 204 km
Eye:
max. 130 km
Air pressure:
below 908 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall in Japan. On October 1st, 2021 at 6:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 186 km west of Hasaki in Kantō.
Mindulle: September 22 to October 6, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 254 km/h
on land:
max. 167 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1437 km
Eye:
max. 130 km
Air pressure:
below 917 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
Kantō
Tōhoku
Hokkaidō
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
Kantō
Tōhoku
Hokkaidō
Chanthu: September 6-18, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 274 km/h
on land:
max. 78 km/h
Diameter:
max. 222 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 908 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
Chanthu: September 5-20, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 282 km/h
on land:
max. 278 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 905 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
In Fa: July 15-31, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 157 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1204 km
Eye:
max. 222 km
Air pressure:
below 950 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
Surigae: April 13-25, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 306 km/h
Diameter:
max. 296 km
Eye:
max. 167 km
Air pressure:
below 888 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
The typhoon did not make direct landfall in Japan. On April 23rd, 2021 at 6:00 pm it had the shortest distance at about 295 km southwest of Itoman in Kyūshū.
Surigae: April 11-30, 2021
Wind speed:
max. 309 km/h
on land:
max. 189 km/h
Diameter:
max. 963 km
Eye:
max. 167 km
Air pressure:
below 885 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
Haishen: August 30 to September 10, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 250 km/h
on land:
max. 194 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1482 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 910 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Maysak: August 26 to September 7, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 176 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Eye:
max. 148 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 2
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Bavi: August 20-29, 2020
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
Diameter:
max. 685 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 942 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
Hagibis: October 4-14, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 296 km/h
on land:
max. 207 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1389 km
Eye:
max. 93 km
Air pressure:
below 896 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 5
Affected regions
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
Kantō
Tōhoku
Shikoku
Kinki
Chūbu
Kantō
Tōhoku
Mitag: September 24 to October 5, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 143 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1111 km
Eye:
max. 56 km
Air pressure:
below 965 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Chūbu
Tōhoku
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Chūbu
Tōhoku
Tapah: September 17-23, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 120 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Eye:
max. 167 km
Air pressure:
below 970 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 1
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Tōhoku
Kyūshū
Chūgoku
Tōhoku
Lingling: August 30 to September 12, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 207 km/h
Diameter:
max. 852 km
Eye:
max. 111 km
Air pressure:
below 935 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
Krosa: August 4-17, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 185 km/h
on land:
max. 102 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1759 km
Air pressure:
below 945 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 3
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Chūgoku
Chūbu
Tōhoku
Kyūshū
Shikoku
Chūgoku
Chūbu
Tōhoku
Lekima: August 2-14, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 217 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1159 km
Eye:
max. 37 km
Air pressure:
below 918 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
category 4
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
Danas: July 14-23, 2019
Wind speed:
max. 83 km/h
Diameter:
max. 1148 km
Air pressure:
below 984 mbar
Saffir-Simpson scale:
tropical storm
Affected regions
Kyūshū
Kyūshū
These evaluations are based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Information of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Individual data have been summarized or translated.