Image source, Getty Images

The Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has just convened an emergency cabinet meeting to co-ordinate the government’s response to Typhoon Shanshan.

His government is setting up a dedicated office to manage the response to the typhoon, the prime minister says in a statement shared after the meeting.

Kishida also warns that the typhoon is expected to have prolonged effects and is urging the government to remain vigilant and take appropriate measures.

The Japanese prime minister also went on to offer his condolences to the three people who died and the dozens more who have been injured as a result of the typhoon, saying: "Our deepest sympathies to all those affected by the disaster.”

Image source, Reuters

We can now bring you some of the experiences from people across Japan who have just witnessed this massive weather event.

Tomoki Maeda, a funeral parlour employee, describes how he found himself inside a hearse when the typhoon struck in southern Kyushu.

"I've never experienced such a strong wind or tornado in my 31 years of life," he tells Reuters news agency in Miyazaki where windows were shattered and the walls of some buildings were torn down.

In Fukuoka in northern Kyushu, student Rio Ohtsuru is living away from home for the first time.

"It's a bit scary being all alone," the 19-year-old tells the AFP news agency. "Maybe I will look for a flashlight in case of a power outage."

In Usa, retiree Fukashi Oishi looks sadly at a fallen tree across the road from his home.

The tree was already mature when Oishi was a child, but now it's snapped under the typhoon's gusts.

"Oh, it's so sad," Oishi tells AFP.

Image source, Reuters

Typhoon Shanshan slammed into Japan early on Thursday local time and has so far injured dozens and left at least three people dead as a result.

Here’s an overview of what we know right now:

• A couple in their 70s and a man in his 30s have all died after their home in Gamagori was swept away ahead of the typhoon’s landfall. All three were from the same family, with two others rescued
• At least 39 people have been injured in Kagoshima and Miyazaki prefectures, Japanese broadcasting company NHK reports
• Travel has been disrupted across the region - we know of hundreds of flights cancelled to and from southern Japan, with some high-speed train services also suspended
• Evacuation advisories were issued earlier this week to hundreds of thousands of people
• The Japan Meteorological Agency is expecting the storm to approach the country's central and eastern regions next, which will include Tokyo

We're continuing to follow all the developments here on this page. Stick with us.

Jean Mackenzie
Correspondent in Asia

A couple in their 70s and man in his 30s died when a landslide buried their home in Gamagori city in central Japan, after the typhoon brought with it torrential rain.

The storm eventually hit land further down south, and has weakened as it moved up towards the island of Kyushu.

But rain is still lashing the southern islands – and the authorities have warned that the threat of deadly floods and landslides is increasing.

Around a million people have been ordered to evacuate their homes.

The typhoon’s path is proving difficult to predict, but it could become more deadly as it heads north towards the capital and more densely populated areas.

Image source, Reuters

Image source, EPA

A powerful typhoon has hit the coast of Japan’s mainland, with at least three people being killed from a landslide triggered by the heavy rains that swept the region.

Typhoon Shanshan – considered to be one of the strongest to hit Japan in decades – dumped torrential rains and delivered 252 km/h (157mph) gusts to the main island of Kyushu.

It made landfall at around 08:00 local time (23:00 GMT), the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, after issuing a rare “special warning” for violent storms, landslides, flooding and large-scale damage.

On the island of Kyushu, which seems to have got the worst of the storm, about 255,000 houses remain without power, the island’s utility operator said.

We’re going to continue to monitor this situation closely and will provide you with updates and analysis as we get them. Stick with us.