Typhoon Neoguri is taking aim at Japan's most populous areas after dumping torrential rains on the southern islands of Okinawa.
Two people were killed and at least 28 injured as the storm moved across Okinawa on Wednesday, leaving 52,000 houses without power.
Though it has weakened, Neoguri is still packing wind gusts of up to 162 kilometers per hour. But the main concern now is the slow-moving storm's heavy rainfall.
Forecasters warn that the island of Kyushu could see at least 300 millimeters of rain in a 24-hour period through mid-day Thursday, when it begins heading towards Tokyo and the city of Osaka, located on the main island of Honshu
Neoguri is posing a particular threat of landslides and floods, since it is hitting Japan at the end of its rainy season.
Japan usually is hit by several typhoons each year, but it is unusual for such a storm to hit as early as July.