Typhoon Ampil, categorized as “very strong” by the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), was off the Pacific coast of Japan's main island at 8:50 a.m. (23:50 GMT Thursday). The agency has two higher categories – “very strong” and “violent.”
The typhoon is expected to move towards the eastern Kanto region, where the capital is located, on Friday afternoon.
According to the JMA, the wind speed in Ampil is 45 meters per second, with a maximum gust of 60 meters per second (216 km/h).
“Strong wind gusts are expected in the Kanto region, causing injuries from flying debris and even overturning trucks that are still moving,” the JMA warned on its website.
The city of Mobara in Chiba Prefecture issued an evacuation order for about 18,500 residents, while dozens of other cities opened special evacuation centers and advised voluntary evacuation.
More than 2,000 households in the Kanto region suffered power outages in the morning before power was restored in some areas, according to Tokyo Electric Power 9501.T.
ANA Holdings 9202.T has announced that it will cancel 281 domestic flights and 54 international flights that were scheduled to depart or arrive on Friday, affecting nearly 70,000 passengers.
Japan Airlines 9201.T plans to cancel 281 domestic and 38 international flights, affecting approximately 50,000 passengers.
All high-speed trains (Shinkansen) between Tokyo and Japan's industrial heartland, Nagoya, have also been cancelled.