Typhoon approaches eastern Japan, prompting flood and landslide warnings

Listen TOKYO, Sept 21 - A powerful typhoon was approaching Japan's Pacific coast on Monday, bringing torrential rain, violent winds and a heightened risk of landslides across the Kanto region and other parts of eastern Japan, the weather agency said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) warned that conditions could deteriorate rapidly as Typhoon Dujuan was forecast to pass close to the Tokyo metropolitan area later in the day.

Heavy rain has already drenched the Izu Islands and parts of Japan's Pacific coast, with some locations recording more than 300 mm (12 inches) of rainfall since Saturday, prompting authorities to issue the highest-level landslide emergency warning for the town of Oshima in the Izu Islands, about 110 km (68 miles) south of Tokyo.