Typhoon Namtheun made landfall in the city of Nagasaki early Monday, prompting the Meteorological Agency to warn of strong winds, heavy rain, mudslides and flooding, especially along river valleys.
After making landfall shortly after 1 a.m., the typhoon moved over the northwestern part of Kyushu. By 9 a.m. it had weakened and was downgraded to a tropical depression.
Bringing warm and moist air to the region, heavy rainfall was expected over parts of western Japan, and the weather agency continued to issue warnings of mudslides and flooding.
Strong winds brought by the typhoon knocked a man down in Minamikyushu, Kagoshima Prefecture, leaving him with a minor head injury, officials said.
Meanwhile, the Iwate Prefectural Government said Monday a body was found and identified in the town of Iwaizumi, which was hit hard by downpours caused by Typhoon Lionrock last week.
Seventeen people, mostly in Iwaizumi, have been confirmed dead in Iwate Prefecture due to Lionrock. Several people in the town are still unaccounted for.
The Iwaizumi Municipal Government on Monday morning instructed 9,947 residents in all 4,587 households to take shelter in six evacuation centers and a hotel in the town out of concern that more landslides could occur due to possible heavy rain from Typhoon Namtheun in southwestern Japan.
Due to damage from last week’s typhoon, a company making Iwaizumi yogurt, a popular local product, has temporarily suspended production.
“We received many messages of support from people across the nation. We promise to get back in business” and produce yogurt again, said Kinya Yamashita, president of Iwaizumi Milk Products Co.
Heavy rainfall on Aug. 30 flooded Iwaizumi Milk’s three factories, including its main branch.
Floodwater tainted yogurt that had already been made and also seeped into raw milk, the yogurt’s main ingredient. The flooding also made some of the machines inoperable, and the company has suffered a loss of about ¥8 million.
Three employees became marooned inside a factory building but were safe after climbing to the second floor.
Iwaizumi Milk Products was established in 2006 and, hoping to increase sales, began producing yogurt as its main product in 2009.
“It’s a shame, as we’ve supported the city’s industry,” Yamashita said.
The company has been receiving about 100 emails and Facebook messages daily since the typhoon, and with a new office already established in the city, Yamashita is ready to restart the business.
“Our customers have helped expand our business,” he said. “Now is not the time to give up.”