Thousands evacuate in Japan, factories shutter ahead of typhoon

Hundreds of thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate in southern Japan, and companies including Toyota Motor Corp. and Canon Inc. are planning to shutter factories as Typhoon Haishen approaches.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the typhoon may make landfall on Kagoshima prefecture in the southern Kyushu island on Sunday evening. More than 46,000 households were without power in Kagoshima prefecture as of 5 p.m. local time, according to Kyushu Electric Power Company Inc. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said at least 218,000 households have been ordered to evacuate to safety in Okinawa and five of the Kyushu prefectures.

Canon said it will suspend operations at four manufacturing units affecting seven factories in Kyushu on Monday, while Toyota decided to halt three plants in Fukuoka. Daihatsu Motor Co.’s factories in Oita and Fukuoka prefectures will be suspended during morning shift on Monday, company spokesman Kazuki Inoue said.

Sony Corp. plans to shut production in Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Nagasaki prefectures from Sunday afternoon, and is also considering closing its Oita prefecture facility during the storm, a spokesperson said.

Alter Destinations

The nation’s train and airline services will also be disrupted by the typhoon. West Japan Railway Co. said it will halt operations between Hiroshima and Hakata on the high-speed Sanyo Shinkansen line on Monday, while Central Japan Railway Co. said it could suspend or alter destinations for some of its operations of the high-speed rail network.

Japan Airlines Co. and ANA Holdings Inc. plan to partially or totally suspend flights to and from Okinawa and Kyushu on Sunday and Monday.

Typhoon Haishen forced the Japanese coast guard to suspend its search and rescue efforts for crew members of a cargo ship transporting cattle that overturned in the East China Sea last week.

Authorities will decide whether to resume the search after the typhoon passes, a spokesperson for the Japan Coast Guard said on Sunday. The ship with 43 crew and 5,800 cattle capsized after engine trouble and as Typhoon Maysak swept through.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in asked central and local governments to make every preparation for Typhoon Haishen as it’s expected to cause great damage to the Korean peninsula, presidential spokesman Kang Min-seok said in a statement on Sunday.