Millions of people were forced from their homes when Typhoon Shanshan hit southwest Japan, according to Reuters.
The typhoon disrupted power, hampering air traffic and forcing major factories to shut down. So far, at least three people have been killed and dozens injured in what could be one of the worst storms ever to strike the region.
Major carmaker Toyota suspended operations at all of its plants in the country due to the storm, while Nissan, Honda and chip makers Renesas and Tokyo Electron also temporarily halted production at some facilities.
Typhoon Shanshan, with gusts of up to 50 metres per second (180 kph/112 mph), was raging near Unzen city in Nagasaki prefecture at 1:45 p.m. (04:45 GMT). It was moving north at about 15 kilometres per hour, according to the meteorological agency.
Kyushu Electric Power Co said about 230,000 households in seven prefectures lost power in the afternoon. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a news conference that the typhoon had left three people dead and one missing. The disaster management agency reported that 45 people suffered injuries.
Authorities say more than 5.2 million people have received evacuation notices across the country.
Airlines, including ANA Holdings and Japan Airlines, have already announced the cancellation of nearly 800 flights. According to the Ministry of Transport, rail services have been suspended in many parts of Kyushu, with hundreds of bus and ferry services halted.
