Bullet train services between Tokyo and Nagoya have been suspended throughout Friday, August 16 as Typhoon Ampil, the season’s seventh, is forecast to impact eastern Japan. The disruption coincides with the Bon summer holidays, a peak travel period for many Japanese, as reported by Kyodo News.

As of mid-morning on August 16, the typhoon was around 100 kilometres to the southeast of Tokyo, the sprawling Japanese capital of 14mn at its core and 30mn in the Greater Tokyo area.

It is currently moving north at a speed of around 20 kilometres per hour (kph) and has a registered atmospheric pressure at its centre of just 950 hectopascals. Winds around the typhoon are reaching speeds of 216 kph according to Japanese sources.

Southwest of Tokyo, Central Japan Railway Co announced that Shinkansen operations on the Tokaido line between Nagoya and Shin-Osaka will also face significant reductions later this week. The typhoon is also expected to lead to widespread flight cancellation and will cause widespread travel interruptions for several days as it moves north.

East Japan Railway Co has indicated that services on the Tohoku, Joetsu, Hokuriku, Yamagata, and Akita Shinkansen lines may be suspended from Friday to Saturday. Additionally, the slow-moving storm is anticipated to affect other major train routes, including the heavily used JR Yamanote loop line in central Tokyo.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued warnings for potential landslides, overflowing rivers, and flooding in low-lying areas, alongside strong winds and high waves. These severe weather conditions are likely to disrupt not only rail services but also other aspects of daily life in affected regions.

As Typhoon Ampil continues to advance, rail operators are bracing for further impacts and advising travellers to check for updates regularly.