Typhoon Hagibis making its approach, Chiba

So we're all set for Typhoon Hagibis here in the city of Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture.  Maybe.

I got up with my wife this morning at around 7:30.  She works at a dental clinic nearby.  They're open for business this morning and are expected to shut around 11:00.  Normally she takes the mamachari into work but the dentist came to pick her up this morning in his motor.

I left with her to take a quick look at our own Daihatsu Move which we have parked in a lot a few hundred meters from our apartment.  Apparently Typhoon Hagibis is packing winds with the potential to blow over houses so I'm not sure how our little motor is going to get on.  Still, not much to be done about that I suppose.

(Footage from my dash to the shops earlier)

I made a quick dash for the train station and shops just to see what the mood was like more than anything. 

A lot of places are closed although the supermarket Seiyu was still open this morning and I popped in to get a few bits for lunch.  Needless to say all the loaves of bread have gone!  (It never fails to bother me that in a country that bangs on about how great rice is, they head straight for the bread in times of emergency.)

Walking back to the apartment I bumped into the ancient old lady that I see doing walking practice from time to time.

She usually does her daily walk perilously close to the edge of the main road but today she was on a quiet path than runs besides the city stream.

We exchange greetings from time to time and this morning she asked me if Seiyu was still open.  It is, or it was, but I felt a little worried that by the time she had shuffled her way there, it might have shut.

I told her to return home early as the typhoon is on it's way.

Back in the appartment, we've got pots, pans, bottles and bathtub filled with water.  The balconey has been cleared and there seems to be plenty of food.  Phones and laptop are all fully charged. 

The TV is on.  It sounds crass but other than during major sporting events, times of emergency are about the only time that I can stomach Japanese TV.  I've got NHK on right now (we pay for it after all) and they've just shown some images from Enoshima.

As a surfer I often turn my nose up at the waves in that area -- they mostle resemble ripples in a pond -- but today they look something like the final scene of Point Break.

I've just taken a quick break from writing this to check out the situation at my regular surf break in Kujukurihama.  This is a screen shot from a local webcam ...

This is a chart from Surfline showing wave height.  I don't think I've ever seen it this purple color before.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has just appeared on the tele issuing some warnings or advice for the populace as Tyhoon Hagibis inches closer (although it looks like it might be a recording from yesterday). 

The broadcaster has now moved on to show scenes from Ichihara-shi in Chiba Prefecture where they're still reeling from the effects of Tyhoon Faxai.

As for Urayasu, well, it's warm, gusts of wind come and go, as do the rains -- it's just spottin' a bit right now, but it'll be pouring again in a few seconds.

Anyway, in a couple of hours or so it might be time to batten down the hatches, so to speak, so from now maybe we'll just wait and see what the situation is in the morning.

Stay safe everyone!