At least 31 people are dead, 18 are missing and 100 are injured after Typhoon Hagibis left a path of destruction across Japan's east coast yesterday.
The most violent storm to lash Japan in six decades brought record rainfall of nearly 1000mm within a 24-hour period.
Local media have been broadcasting images of the damage sustained by bridges and homes along the storm's path.
Death toll rises following landslides
According to local media, one man was found dead after his home was swept away in the area of Gunma while another man was found dead in his flooded Kawaskai home.
A woman in Sagamihara died when a landslide swept her house away and another woman in Tochigi died after she fell into a waterway, local media reports.
Another man was killed when his car was flipped by a tornado in Chiba, southeast of Tokyo. The tornado destroyed 12 homes and damaged a further 70.
Three people in Gunma Prefecture are missing after a landslide swept away six homes, NHK World reports.
Rescue workers are still searching central, eastern and northeastern regions, which have been inundated by floods and landslides, for any casualties.
Off the coast of Tokyo Bay, 12 crew had to be rescued from a Panamanian cargo ship after it sunk in high winds early yesterday, local media reports.
Over six million people in the path of yesterday’s typhoon were told to evacuate when the storm was at its height yesterday evening.
Typhoon Hagibis is still yet to make landfall in Japan.
The Japan Meteorological Agency raised their heavy rain emergency scale to its highest point 5 hours before the typhoon made landfall.
They said they believed disasters had already taken place, and that those in the storm’s path needed to act quickly to save their lives.
Most violent storm in decades
Hagibis has been labelled the most violent typhoon to hit the region in decades, and businesses and transport services were cancelled early Saturday in preparation. Most are expected to resume throughout Sunday.
'It's pushing our hotel around' - All Black captures raw power of Typhoon Hagibis
The central metropolitan areas of Tokyo city managed to escape much damage with businesses to open after damage assessment has been completed, and the metro service is back up and running.
Flights at Tokyo’s two major airports Narita and Haneda were cancelled until the storm passed today.
The search is now on for people still missing after the violent storm hit Japan.
More than 300,000 people were left without power across the country overnight, with local power companies working to restore electricity to those effected today.
Authorities have said about 376,000 homes may be without power and 14,000 lack running water.
Typhoon Hagibis forced World Rugby officials to suspend Saturday’s matches, including the All Blacks' final pool game. Sunday’s matches went ahead as planned.
Hagibis has now been downgraded to a tropical storm and is expected to be out at sea north of Japan by this evening.
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