Large and powerful Typhoon Lionrock reached an area around the Iwate Prefecture city of Ofunato at around 6 p.m. on Aug. 30, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.
This is the first time that a typhoon has directly hit the Pacific Ocean side of the Tohoku region in northeastern Honshu since the JMA began compiling statistics on typhoons in 1951.
The typhoon, this year's 10th, will likely speed up before passing into the Sea of Japan late on Aug. 30.
As of 5 p.m. on Aug. 30, the typhoon's central pressure was 965 hectopascals, with wind speed near its center up to 35 meters per second and maximum instantaneous wind speed at 50 meters per second.
The powerful typhoon has wreaked havoc on transport systems in some regions. Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways cancelled 60 and 37 flights, respectively. A total of 51 bullet train services were cancelled either completely or partially on the Hokkaido, Tohoku and Akita Shinkansen lines.
People in Japan are bracing for another powerful typhoon that is approaching the main island with violent winds and torrential rain.
The Meteorological Agency says Typhoon Lionrock is packing winds of more than 160 kilometers per hour near its center. It is moving northeast at a speed of 25 kilometers an hour near the Izu Island chain, south of Tokyo.
The agency warns that the tropical cyclone will advance toward regions between Kanto, including Tokyo, and northern Japan on Tuesday.
Weather forecasters are urging people to prepare for powerful winds and high waves.
In western Japan, a cold air mass in the upper atmosphere has destabilized the weather in the region, bringing torrential rain.
Bands of well-developed thunderclouds are expected to slowly move eastward toward the Kinki and Tokai regions through Tuesday morning.
The Meteorological Agency is warning of possible flooding, landslides, tornados and other disturbances.