Torrential rain pounded central Japan on September 8, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue its highest Level 5 emergency flood warning for the Shonai River, which flows through Gifu and Aichi prefectures. According to Kyodo News, about 104 millimeters of rain fell in an hour in Nagoya as an autumn rain front stalled over the region, inundating roads, railway tracks, and local infrastructure.
The city government of Nagoya urged residents in parts of Chikusa, Moriyama, and Meito wards to take immediate action to ensure their safety. Around 2,700 people took refuge at evacuation shelters, while the Aichi prefectural government reported that four people sustained minor injuries during the storm. Linear rainbands formed over Aichi and Gifu, creating conditions that brought heavy rainfall over the same areas for several hours.
Transportation networks suffered severe disruptions across the region. City-operated subway services were temporarily halted, stranding commuters, while JR Chuo Line railway tracks flooded. Streets in the bustling Sakae district were covered in ankle-deep water at the height of the storm. According to railway operators, Tokyo-bound Tokaido Shinkansen bullet trains were temporarily suspended between Okayama and Tokyo stations, and outbound services between Tokyo and Nagoya were halted. Services on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line were also partially disrupted before both networks resumed operations at around 5:15 p.m.
The severe weather impacted public events and major corporate hubs in the prefecture. Rainwater leaked into multiple Asian Games venues in Nagoya ahead of the scheduled September 19 opening. Aichi Prefecture is also home to the headquarters of Toyota Motor Corp., underscoring the industrial footprint of the affected area. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned the public to remain alert to ongoing risks of landslides and flooding as heavy rain continued to threaten regions stretching from western to northeastern Japan.
Regional Impact and Disaster Relief Designation
Following the severe weather, Nagoya was officially designated for disaster relief.
Emergency management officials across Aichi and Gifu maintained high alerts, advising residents in low-lying zones to monitor local updates as saturated soil elevated the threat of secondary landslides.
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