Five killed in Japan storm

After hitting land, Danas is forecast to weaken further

TOKYO, Japan -- Typhoon Danas bore down on Japan's capital after killing five people, triggering landslides and floods and shutting down the country's famous bullet trains.

Although weakening to severe tropical storm status early in the day, Danas was still packing winds of 108 kph (67 mph).

It made landfall near the ancient capital city of Kamakura, about 45 kilometers (28 miles) southwest of Tokyo, and marched slowly over the modern capital of Tokyo at 25 kph (15 mph).

Before the storm hit the coast, it had already killed five people and halted trains and ferries and forced the closure of highways.

On Tuesday, the Meteorological Agency continued its warning of overflowing rivers, violent winds, high waves and mudslides -- even though Danas' winds were slowing.

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By early Tuesday, five people were reported dead and two others missing in mudslides, according to The Associated Press news agency.

Fifteen were injured -- most of them swept up by the wind or hit by flying debris, police said.

Couple buried

Two workers died in Gunma prefecture (state), just north of Tokyo, when they were buried underneath an embankment that collapsed during a highway inspection.

Another man died after being blown from a rooftop while trying to fix an antenna.

An elderly couple was also buried in their home by a 30 meter (30 yard) mudslide in Nagano, about 180 kilometers (112 miles) northwest of Tokyo.

Strong winds and lashing rains kept 16 of the country's super-fast bullet trains from leaving stations early Tuesday, stranding thousands of passengers.

Airlines canceled flights, and several highways were closed to traffic.

Rains that have drenched much of the country since Saturday were expected to intensify in eastern and northern Japan, with forecasts calling for more than 800 millimeters (31.5 inches) by late Tuesday in some areas.

Authorities had ordered 1,722 people across Japan's main island of Honshu to evacuate their homes by early Tuesday, public television broadcaster NHK reported.

Flooding was reported by 148 homeowners in several prefectures, national police spokesman Nobuo Kazai said late Monday.

Second storm

Meanwhile, auto giant Toyota reopened 12 plants early Tuesday after closing them temporarily on Monday night due to transportation problems, spokeswoman Hisayo Ogawa said. That closure affected the production of 6,000 vehicles.

The name Danas comes from the Tagalog word meaning "to experience." Tagalog is a major language in the Philippines.

Separately, another storm hovered off Kumejima, one of the islands in the Okinawan chain in southern Japan, the Meteorological Agency said.

Nari was packing winds up to 126 kph (78 mph), the agency said. Nari is the Korean word for "flower."