Storms near Japan
The record holds 1,213 tropical cyclones whose tracks passed within 50 km of Japan between 1884 and 2026. The busiest month is August, with 358 of them. The strongest, measured where each came closest to the place, reached category 5 strength. 433 of the storms have no wind speed in the record.
- 1,213storms within 50 km
- 170major (category 3 to 5) near here
- 426at category 1 strength or more
A storm counts once, however many times it came close. The category is the storm's strongest point within 50 km, which can be weaker than its peak elsewhere.
How strong were the storms near Japan?
| Category near here | Storms | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Tropical depression | 60 | 5% |
| Tropical storm | 294 | 24% |
| Category 1 | 151 | 12% |
| Category 2 | 105 | 9% |
| Category 3 | 86 | 7% |
| Category 4 | 69 | 6% |
| Category 5 | 15 | 1% |
| Unknown intensity | 433 | 36% |
The agency behind most of the intensity figures here is the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (western Pacific).
Japan storms over time
The 2020s only run to 2026, so that bar is for a shorter period. This place's record starts in 1884, and records before the satellite era (about the 1960s) are far less complete.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 18 |
| 1890s | 31 |
| 1900s | 36 |
| 1910s | 84 |
| 1920s | 62 |
| 1930s | 78 |
| 1940s | 97 |
| 1950s | 108 |
| 1960s | 118 |
| 1970s | 96 |
| 1980s | 96 |
| 1990s | 106 |
| 2000s | 99 |
| 2010s | 113 |
| 2020s | 71 |
Earlier decades hold fewer storms partly because they were harder to see. Before weather satellites (about the 1960s) many storms that stayed at sea went unrecorded, so compare decades with care.
Show the numbers
| Period | Count |
|---|---|
| Jan | 1 |
| Feb | 3 |
| Mar | 3 |
| Apr | 17 |
| May | 49 |
| Jun | 84 |
| Jul | 217 |
| Aug | 358 |
| Sep | 265 |
| Oct | 147 |
| Nov | 56 |
| Dec | 13 |
Strongest storms near Japan
- Sarah (1959)10 September 1959 to 23 September 1959, peak Category 5 (165 kt), 905 hPa
- Louise (1955)20 September 1955 to 2 October 1955, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 930 hPa
- Judy (1963)27 September 1963 to 10 October 1963, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 920 hPa
- Mary (1965)14 August 1965 to 25 August 1965, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 950 hPa
- Cora (1966)28 August 1966 to 9 September 1966, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 918 hPa
- Maemi (2003)4 September 2003 to 16 September 2003, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 910 hPa
Most recent storms near Japan
- Surigae (2026)23 September 2026 to 1 October 2026, Tropical storm (35 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (128 kt), 929 hPa, provisional
- Dujuan (2026)15 September 2026 to 22 September 2026, peak Category 1 (70 kt), 970 hPa, provisional
- Krovanh (2026)1 September 2026 to 9 September 2026, peak Tropical storm (45 kt), 982 hPa, provisional
- Saudel (2026)18 August 2026 to 28 August 2026, Category 2 (93 kt) near here, peak Category 4 (115 kt), 944 hPa, provisional
- Chan-Hom (2026)7 August 2026 to 12 August 2026, peak Tropical storm (51 kt), 976 hPa, provisional
Many of these storms killed people and destroyed homes. The figures are the official record's, and this page says nothing about their human cost.
Japan ranks number 4 among countries and territories for the number of storms.
Notable storms near Japan with their own pages
- Sarah (1959)10 September 1959 to 23 September 1959, peak Category 5 (165 kt), 905 hPa
- Louise (1955)20 September 1955 to 2 October 1955, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 930 hPa
- Judy (1963)27 September 1963 to 10 October 1963, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 920 hPa
- Mary (1965)14 August 1965 to 25 August 1965, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 950 hPa
- Cora (1966)28 August 1966 to 9 September 1966, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 918 hPa
- Maemi (2003)4 September 2003 to 16 September 2003, peak Category 5 (150 kt), 910 hPa
- Wanda (1956)24 July 1956 to 5 August 1956, peak Category 5 (160 kt), 915 hPa
- Vera (1959)20 September 1959 to 29 September 1959, peak Category 5 (165 kt), 895 hPa
- Nancy (1961)6 September 1961 to 20 September 1961, peak Category 5 (185 kt), 890 hPa
- Jean (1965)24 July 1965 to 14 August 1965, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 940 hPa
- Oscar (1995)7 September 1995 to 19 September 1995, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 925 hPa
- Herb (1996)21 July 1996 to 4 August 1996, peak Category 5 (140 kt), 925 hPa
Japan regions
Regions (first-level divisions) that storms have come within 50 km of at least 5 times, most storms first.
| Region | Storms | Strongest near the region |
|---|---|---|
| Okinawa | 631 | Category 5 |
| Tokyo | 538 | Category 5 |
| Kagoshima | 192 | Category 5 |
| Kōchi | 128 | Category 4 |
| Shizuoka | 119 | Category 4 |
| Miyazaki | 118 | Category 4 |
| Hokkaidō | 117 | Category 1 |
| Nagasaki | 115 | Category 4 |
| Ehime | 113 | Category 4 |
| Kumamoto | 113 | Category 4 |
| Chiba | 112 | Category 3 |
| Ōita | 111 | Category 4 |
| Mie | 105 | Category 5 |
| Wakayama | 105 | Category 5 |
| Kyōto | 104 | Category 5 |
| Hyōgo | 103 | Category 3 |
| Ibaraki | 99 | Category 3 |
| Tokushima | 99 | Category 4 |
| Yamaguchi | 93 | Category 4 |
| Aichi | 89 | Category 5 |
| Fukushima | 89 | Category 3 |
| Nara | 88 | Category 5 |
| Hiroshima | 86 | Category 3 |
| Okayama | 86 | Category 3 |
| Iwate | 85 | Category 2 |
| Saitama | 85 | Category 3 |
| Gifu | 84 | Category 5 |
| Kagawa | 84 | Category 4 |
| Kanagawa | 82 | Category 3 |
| Nagano | 82 | Category 3 |
| Shimane | 82 | Category 3 |
| Miyagi | 81 | Category 1 |
| Akita | 80 | Category 2 |
| Fukuoka | 80 | Category 4 |
| Gunma | 78 | Category 3 |
| Niigata | 78 | Category 3 |
| Yamanashi | 76 | Category 3 |
| Fukui | 75 | Category 3 |
| Shiga | 75 | Category 5 |
| Tottori | 74 | Category 3 |
| Ōsaka | 71 | Category 5 |
| Saga | 71 | Category 4 |
| Ishikawa | 68 | Category 3 |
| Tochigi | 68 | Category 3 |
| Aomori | 67 | Category 2 |
| Yamagata | 65 | Category 2 |
| Toyama | 57 | Category 3 |