Typhoon Lan Megathread


[Typhoon Lan is scheduled to make landfall in central-west Japan on August 15, 2023](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/08/f3b2a7a0c14b-western-central-japan-brace-as-typhoon-lan-to-make-landfall-tues.html). This thread is intended to keep track of information and questions related to the typhoon.

**News:**

* The primary areas affected will be the Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe area, which will experience high winds, rainfall, and flooding. Rainfall and wind is also expected in Nagoya and the surrounding area. It is expected that trains, flights, and buses in the region will be impacted by the weather. Additionally, sights, shops, restaurants, etc. may also close or adjust hours.
* All shinkansen service between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka [has been canceled for Tuesday](https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/society/general-news/20230814-129481/).

**Some useful resources:**

* [Japan Meteorological Agency typhoon tracking](https://www.jma.go.jp/bosai/map.html#7/34.088/135.558/&elem=root&typhoon=all&contents=typhoon&lang=en)
* [Weather Underground’s typhoon tracking](https://www.wunderground.com/hurricane/western-pacific/2023/tropical-storm-lan) (has some more detailed times and conditions)
* Typhoon preparation tips from the [Japan Times](https://www.japantimes.co.jp/japan-disaster-information/typhoon-preparation/) and the [US embassy](https://jp.usembassy.gov/services/typhoon-tips/)
* [JR Central shinkansen info/updates](https://traininfo.jr-central.co.jp/shinkansen/sp/en/index.html)
* [JR Central’s website](https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/) with service information
* [JR West’s website](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/) with service information
* [JR East train info](https://traininfo.jreast.co.jp/train_info/e/kanto.aspx) with service information
* [Nankai status page and info](https://www.traffic.nankai.co.jp/railinfo/02.html) (access to KIX)

Please feel free to offer additional resources and advice in this thread. Keep things civil and on-topic, please.

*(The monthly meet-up thread has been unstickied for now, but can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/158rl8j/monthly_meetup_thread_august/).)*

41 comments
  1. We just arrived in Osaka from Australia and have never experienced a typhoon before. Quite nervous but we just purchased some food for our hotel room so we can plan to stay put during.

  2. Currently in Nagoya and supposed to travel to Kinosaki on the 15th for one night at some onsen ryokan.

    Not sure if we will need to change plans as I see the trajectory, quite hard to plan until the train is not canceled!

  3. Provided this isn’t a very bad storm, do we think KIX will be operational the evening of the 16th? We’ve added an extra day to our stay in Kyoto and moved our flight home since it was supposed to be the 15th. I’m used to hurricanes and how quickly everything bounces back from them in the states I’ve lived in, but I saw someone mention this can linger for a few days. The projections I saw had it past Japan by like midday on the 16th so I’m curious if it’s just got longer outer rainbands than a hurricane or what hurricane cat equivalent we’re looking at.

  4. Was meant to be travelling to Kyoto on the 16th and I’m current in Fujiyoshida. Seeing as the JMA’s trajectory estimations show the typhoon will miss Mishima, does anyone have any guesses whether the Expressway Bus between Fujiyoshida and Mishima will be running?

  5. Our flight back to Kuala Lumpur is the morning of 16th. I wonder if our plane from KL is able to land at all in KIX firstly. The bridge closure is a real concern, initially we planned to stay at a hotel close to the shore just before the bridge but I don’t think that’s a good idea now. Sigh.

  6. That Twitter acct seems pretty old… do you expect them to update? I’m seeing nothing for several years

  7. I pulled a bad tourist thing and reserved another night in Hyatt place, hoping to cancel by 11:59pm… but just in case KIX kicks… in which case we’ll also have to see how delta works with Korean, #gonnabeugly.

    It feels odd being a carefree tourist, getting in one last day trip before hunkering down – knowing this is looking pretty serious for the region of Kyoto and Osaka.

  8. Will the typhoon affect Mt Fuji? From the directory, I would say no.
    Heading from Hiroshima tomorrow to Fuji, climbing on the 16th

  9. I have a flight that’s supposed to land in Osaka in the afternoon of the 15th, how screwed am I?

  10. Hi,

    I booked a ferry from Wakayama to Tokushima at 13:40 today to see Awa Odori. The trip back to wakayama is on the 15th at 2:45 (because of the Awa Odori festival everything was fully booked 3 months ago).
    Should I just don’t go? Considering that I don’t have any place to stay there.

    Still haven’t heard anything from ferry company about cancellation.

  11. How are the train stations right now? Worried a mass exodus from the area might make hopping on the train back to Tokyo tough.

    Edit: also wondering about train recs for Kyoto to Japan. We have JR passes but bought a bullet train on the way in so I’m not sure which trains are ok for us (note we have lots of luggage.

  12. Is it safe to stay in the hotel next to a river in Osaka or should I look for emergency shelters? We are supposed to fly to Singapore tommorrow night from Kansai airport.

  13. We’re set to land at HND at 3 on the 16th – likelihood of it getting postponed?

  14. I have a shinkansen booked to kyoto from tokyo for tonight and I’ve booked a hotel in Kyoto for 3 nights – Monday night to Wednesday night. Is it still worth going if the typhoon is rolling through Tuesday, Weds?

  15. We have tickets for Disney sea tomorrow, a bit out of the main path (left Kyoto this morning). Any thoughts about whether it will still be possible to go?

  16. I’m staying in Osaka tonight and have a hotel booked in Kyoto for the 15th onward. My JR train is already canceled but I’m hoping I can take another train in the morning – the Keihan or Sakaisuji lines.

    The other option is getting on a train to Kyoto this afternoon/evening. Thoughts?

  17. We are in Hakone right now and were supposed to arrive in Kyoto tomorrow. If the bullet trains are canceled there’s no way we can get to Kyoto right? We asked our ryokan if we can stay one more night and told our hotel in Kyoto we will possibly arrive a day later. We sent our luggage to Kyoto from Yokohama this morning as well, so things feel a little chaotic.

  18. I’m in Tokyo right now, I have a flight leaving Osaka tomorrow (15th) in the evening for Hong Kong. I’ll take it the chances of that happening are near zero? They haven’t given any word yet but I’m not too optimistic, not sure how I’d even get to Osaka unless I leave today. Have they already cancelled the Shinkansens for tomorrow?

  19. We’re currently in Takayama, supposed to travel to Tokyo tomorrow. The Hida express trains to Toyama have all been cancelled, and the Shinkansen from Toyama to Tokyo might be cancelled (but this has yet to be confirmed). We’ve booked a bus from Takayama to Tokyo, but is there a chance this will also get cancelled? Is there information about the bus routes and highway closures anywhere online?

  20. Is it possible to catch a shinkansen now from Osaka to Tokyo to get a flight out of the japan tonight or tomorrow

  21. Went to Fuji hoping for the best, now after a short hike, we have excess hiking sticks and cans of oxygen, lol. Anywhere we could potentially donate so someone could get more use out of them?

  22. Getting from Kyoto to Hakone on the 16th… Anyone think this will be an issue/have advice?

  23. Hey, we’re currently in Takamatsu and we’re supposed to rent a car tomorrow to go in an onsen in the center of Shikoku in the mountain. We don’t know what to expect from a typhoon never been in one.
    It looks like a bad idea to drive up there, what do you guys think ?

  24. What are some good indoor activities for Osaka? My plan for tomorrow was USJ but it is closed for the day now.

  25. My flight company (EVA airlines) didn’t cancell my flight, but just postponed it to 8:15PM tomorrow… I am so upset, it seems to me that even going out to reach the airport is by itself very dangerous, so why would they not cancell it?
    Anyone has an idea about how can I reach KIX Osaka airport by 5:30 from Kyoto?

  26. I have my flight out of Tokyo on Wednesday after being here for 5 months as a student and I almost missed it by booking another night in Osaka before I left for Tokyo. I’m glad I checked the weather this morning and gtfo…

  27. We were supposed to leave to Osaka from Kyoto tomorrow but decided to stay an extra night in Kyoto since no Shinkansen tomorrow. Any issues with being in a hotel in Kyoto or just stay inside and chill before continuing the journey?

  28. We are currently in Kyoto and we are supposed to go to Odawara tomorrow by Shinkansen. The day after tomorrow, we wanted to go to Tokyo. We are certain, that the Shinkansen is cancelled, yet we already have the tickets.

    Questions are:

    – Can I refund the ticket on the day after tomorrow at Kyoto Station?

    – Is it more intelligent to do an off day tomorrow and go to Tokyo directly afterwards? (Our group agreed to accept that way)

    – Is there anything else we have to keep in mind?

  29. What is the likeliness of another typhoon in early September? Is osaka always hit this hard during Aug-Sept?

  30. I had Shinkansen tickets from Okayama to Tokyo for Tuesday, but it was suddenly canceled and now I will likely miss a concert that I’ve been waiting for since February, together with all of the money used to plan the trip. Could someone give me advice on what I should do? I would really appreciate it, its a pretty unfortunate situation and I can’t think of any solutions.

  31. I’m in okayama, so far the weather has been ok, was out tonight celebrating obon. Tomorrow I guess it will rain, if the wind are reasonable I guess I’ll spend half a day in aeon.
    Anyone has updated about fukuyama fireworks? Should be tomorrow night, I’m very close and I would love to attend.

  32. I’m flying to Hokkaido next Monday from Tokyo … I’m guessing by then it will have died down? Hoping for it to not be a problem…

  33. Bought a 5 day JR pass for Kansai-Hiroshima area. Was hoping to go to Hiroshima tomorrow but the Sanyo Shinkansen is cancelled. Wondering if the refund/modification covers multiple day passes?

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