Flights and train schedules were disrupted as heavy rains, strong winds and high waves battered the southern and western parts of the Japanese archipelago.

The eye of Typhoon Dianmu made landfall early Monday near Muroto city on Shikoku island, some 550 kilometers (350 miles) west of Tokyo, with winds gusting up to 205 kilometers (127 miles) an hour, the Meteorological Agency said.

Dianmu, which means 'mother of lightning' in Chinese, ploughed across the main island of Honshu and into the Sea of Japan (East Sea) on a northerly course later in the day, after triggering eight landslides in western Japan, the agency and police said.

The bodies of two university students were found Sunday after they were swept away by a wave while enjoying a barbecue party Saturday night on a beach in Shizuoka, some 150 kilometers west of Tokyo, Shizuoka police said.

A 32-year-old male surfer also drowned off the main Okinawan island in Japan's extreme southwest, public broadcaster NHK said.

Those missing include a 73-year-old man who was fishing on Kozu, a Pacific islet some 160 kilometers south of Tokyo, NHK said.

A 19-year-old male was swept away by high waves while playing on the beach near Mihama, Wakayama prefecture, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.

At least 56 people also suffered typhoon-related injuries, NHK said.

Some 700 people in 10 affected prefectures, mostly in southern Kagoshima, left their homes and sought refuge from the violent weather, the disaster agency said.

As of 6:00 pm (0900 GMT), Dianmu's was weakening and its center was located 30 kilometers west of Wajima, Ishikawa prefecture, in central Japan, with winds of up to 90 kilometers per hour, the Meteorological Agency said.

It was expected to dump 300-400 millimeters (12 to 16 inches) of rain on western and central Japan in the 24 hours to Tuesday morning when it was likely to be downgraded to a tropical storm, it said.

At least 150 flights were canceled, affecting 18,200 passengers, according to All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines.

The typhoon forced the suspension of bullet train services in central Japan after the wind ripped the roof from a nearby hotel and blew it onto the overhead power lines.

TERRA.WIRE