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Are Tokyo Subways Prepared for Floods?

Unseen Japan
5 min readAug 26, 2024

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With a vast network of subways and underground shopping malls, the threat of floods in Tokyo is serious. Here’s how the city is preparing.

Picture: ハッシブ2世 / PIXTA(ピクスタ)

By Ebony Brown

Tokyo and the rest of the world are suffering the consequences of climate change. This year has once again produced record-breaking temperatures. Many are unprepared for the heat, and heatstroke is on the rise. While the unbearable heat is the major focus, climate change is also causing record rain.

The rainy season in Japan is most commonly June through early July. However, that’s starting to change. The weather has become increasingly unpredictable. Torrential rains began in May, with Tokyo receiving record-breaking rainfall.

It hasn’t let up since. Torrential downpours and intense storms have been a hallmark of this summer. The air pressure changes have also caused an extended typhoon season, which can dump buckets of rain onto Tokyo in hours.

Preventative measures

The significant rainfall has caused a flurry of transportation issues. The unsafe weather conditions have delayed trains, planes, and buses. With…

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Unseen Japan
Unseen Japan

Written by Unseen Japan

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