Yesterday I return from southern Japan after making a successful intercept of the eye of typhoon Usagi. This was my first intercept expedition in mainland Japan (I went to Okinawa in 2005 to intercept supertyphoon Nabi.)
The trip was a great success not only because I managed to nail the eye of the storm but also I was able to explore the beautiful island of Kyushu and experience the warmth and hospitality of the Japanese people.
I flew to Fukuoka on Wednesday 1st August and caught a bus to the southern coastal city of Kiyazaki. The bus ride was a great opportunity for me to take in the natural beauty of Kyushu with it's lush forests and steep mountain sides. I night stopped in Miyazaki to get some rest and check the updates on the storm's progress.
The night before a typhoon landfall is always sleepless. I was up at 0500 to check the track of Usagi. Indeed it turned out I would have to move about 70km north along the coast ot the town of Nobeoka which was now due a direct hit.
And it was then I was able to do something quite bizarre and what would be utterly impossible in America. I got a commuter train, full of people on their way to work, into the town which was due to get a direct hit from the typhoon.
Usagi was starting to weaken but I got myself into position and filmed what it had to offer:
The day after I ventured to the beach where there was evidence of considerable storm surge:
The trip was a great success not only because I managed to nail the eye of the storm but also I was able to explore the beautiful island of Kyushu and experience the warmth and hospitality of the Japanese people.
I flew to Fukuoka on Wednesday 1st August and caught a bus to the southern coastal city of Kiyazaki. The bus ride was a great opportunity for me to take in the natural beauty of Kyushu with it's lush forests and steep mountain sides. I night stopped in Miyazaki to get some rest and check the updates on the storm's progress.
The night before a typhoon landfall is always sleepless. I was up at 0500 to check the track of Usagi. Indeed it turned out I would have to move about 70km north along the coast ot the town of Nobeoka which was now due a direct hit.
And it was then I was able to do something quite bizarre and what would be utterly impossible in America. I got a commuter train, full of people on their way to work, into the town which was due to get a direct hit from the typhoon.
Usagi was starting to weaken but I got myself into position and filmed what it had to offer:
The day after I ventured to the beach where there was evidence of considerable storm surge:
Overall damage was light in Japan where the infrastructure is built to withstand everything that nature can throw.
Tropical storm Pabuk has just formed and I am now considering travelling to Taiwan to cover this storm.
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