Photo/Illutration People look at their smartphones in front of a bulletin board indicating train delays at Tokyo Station on Sept. 9, following Typhoon No. 15. (Naoko Kawamura)

Railway operators announced that they may suspend train services in eastern Japan ahead of the arrival of a super typhoon churning in the Pacific Ocean.

Meanwhile, several events in Tokyo, including food and dance festivals and Rugby World Cup public viewings, have been canceled due to safety concerns, with some decisions pending.

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced Oct. 10 a possible shutdown of both regular and Shinkansen trains on Oct. 12-13, when Typhoon No. 19 is expected to hit areas stretching from Shikoku to the Tohoku region.

Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said the same day it may reduce or suspend Tokaido Shinkanen Line trains between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka stations.

Both operators said they will provide updates on the situation as the storm continues its approach.

Odakyu Electric Railway Co. said the same day that it will suspend its Romance Car service, which runs between Shinjuku Station and resort areas such as Hakone and Izu, all day on Oct. 12.

The company added that it may suspend or reduce its regular trains from that day until the morning of Oct. 13.

The typhoon is expected to bring winds as strong as those of Typhoon No. 15, which caused widespread damage in Chiba Prefecture in September.

EVENTS DROPPED

The Taste of Tokyo 2019 event slated for Oct. 11-13 at venues including Hibiya Park and the Tokyo International Forum in the capital's Chiyoda Ward was canceled on Oct. 9.

The event was to feature sales of food made from traditional vegetables and specialties of Japan and live jazz sessions. The event's organizer had planned to hold it as scheduled even if there was rain, as 200,000 visitors were anticipated. However, it said the event has been canceled out of concern for visitors' safety with the typhoon possibly hitting the Tokyo area.

The organizer of the Tokyo Yosakoi festival scheduled for Oct. 12-13 at JR Ikebukuro Station, JR Mejiro Station and other locations decided to call off the first day, or eve of the festival. It will be decided that evening whether the Oct. 13 festival will be held, and if so, the dance routines will not be judged.

The annual event, featuring performances by more than 100 teams, draws 1 million spectators, but the host said its top priority is people's safety.

Tokyo's Minato Ward government, meanwhile, called off its festival slated for Oct. 12-13 at Shiba Park. A sports festival scheduled for Oct. 14 in the ward will be held as scheduled at Minato Park Shibaura.

In western Tokyo, the Fuchu city government announced that it may change venues or cancel by 5 p.m. the previous day public viewing events for Rugby World Cup matches on Oct. 12 and 13.

The Tokyo metropolitan government said that it will decide if public viewing events will be held on Oct. 11-13 at two locations--the Yurakucho district and the city of Chofu, western Japan--by 10 p.m. the day before the matches.

An autumn festival at Tsukiji Outer Market in Chuo Ward was scheduled for Oct. 10-12, but its union decided at a meeting on Oct. 9 that it may change the time and the scale of the event.

As Typhoon No. 19 bears down on Japan, safety is the key concern

2 key World Cup matches get the boot as typhoon threatens safety