More than 100 dead or missing after typhoon as rescue work continues

This article highlights the wonderful job the Japanese army does thanks to Article 9. We can all be proud.

So, worst storm in 28 years. I hope all the posters who were downplaying it because the wind speeds didn't quite hit classifications for Cat 1 are reading this and in future will realize that "taifoo" can be deadly and devastating, even if they are mere tropical storms. There are a lot more factors in play than just spin speed.

I thought air drops were prohibited in Japan.... When I asked all my Japanese friends why the SDF/central government weren't dropping aid supplies to the Fukushima earthquake victims, they said they weren't allowed to do that - defying all logic of immediately aiding victims ASAP......

I thought air drops were prohibited in Japan.... dropping aid supplies to the Fukushima earthquake victims

kansifun, I understand your question but I wonder if this is a translation or semantics issue. The headline says "Air drops", but the article speaks of helicopters descending on towns. That implies landing.

Perhaps active military personel can clarify for us, but I thought air drops were pushed from the back of a transport/cargo plane in flight, that is: without the plane landing. The cargo usually descends with a parachute attached. This stuff is usually specially packed to survive such a drop. It's not very well controlled and can be dangerous as well as damaging the goods, although new US military cargo drops can be autoguided by GPS from 20,000 feet. So perhaps that is why drops are not allowed in populated areas.

Whereas helicopters, for the most part, will land briefly, even if they just push it out the door and then lift off.

Maybe in translation an incorrect word was choosen. I'm not sure if there was immediate aid deliveried by helicopter in Fukushima, but I know eventually there was. Could be the scale was so much greater and the infastructure so much more damaged, that the ramp up time was much longer and even finding where to deliver aid was challenging. Also, the first hours & days of any disaster are spent in search & rescue, which would be considered more urgent a priority than delivering aid. Sometimes it a tradeoff, hoping those alive can survive until aid arrives.

Not the best situation, but given the scales involved, perhaps all anyone can do.

woah 100s who wouldve expected that. pffff I feel sorry for the relatives, Japan is really in a shit year with all this nature violence. Japan could use a break. NOW

@kansaifun: I believe I was correct, the helicopters are landing and unloading into waiting trucks, not "air dropping". So the original headline was using "air drop" incorrectly. Here is a link to a photo showing this happening, along with more photos of the search & rescue operations.

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/typhoon-talas-kills-dozens-1315320187-slideshow/people-transfer-relief-goods-japan-ground-self-defense-photo-234333417.html;_ylt=Akx8vJ4_zHWPRKP3xqXp_HBfaP0E;_ylu=X3oDMTQwZmdmYmVoBG1pdANTbGlkZXNob3cgR2FsbGVyeSBWaWV3IFVTBHBrZwNkNWQ2ZjFiZS03ZjQ1LTNkMjEtODczMy03MTkzNTA1YTk3MDQEcG9zAzUEc2VjA2VuZF9zcwR2ZXIDNTZjNzM4MjAtZDhlMi0xMWUwLWJmYmUtYTk3ZTcxNjU0YTY4;_ylg=X3oDMTFtbjZqNHVyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc3MtZ2FsbGVyeQR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3

Sorry, I'm not sure why the link didn't work. Please try this one:

http://news.yahoo.com/photos/typhoon-talas-kills-dozens-1315320187-slideshow/people-transfer-relief-goods-japan-ground-self-defense-photo-234333417.html;_ylt=Akx8vJ4_zHWPRKP3xqXp_HBfaP0E;_ylu=X3oDMTQwZmdmYmVoBG1pdANTbGlkZXNob3cgR2FsbGVyeSBWaWV3IFVTBHBrZwNkNWQ2ZjFiZS03ZjQ1LTNkMjEtODczMy03MTkzNTA1YTk3MDQEcG9zAzUEc2VjA2VuZF9zcwR2ZXIDNTZjNzM4MjAtZDhlMi0xMWUwLWJmYmUtYTk3ZTcxNjU0YTY4;_ylg=X3oDMTFtbjZqNHVyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdAMEcHQDc3MtZ2FsbGVyeQR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3

Meanwhile, helicopters continued to bring in supplies to thousands of people still cut off. Aid-laden helicopters descended on towns in the hardest-hit areas as police, firefighters and soldiers mobilized to clear roads so they could distribute food, medicine and other assistance to communities fending for themselves.

This really, really PISSES ME OFF! Not that the Japanese government is helping these victims HELICOPTERS, because if you remember back on the day of the big quake, March 11, everyone was yelling, screaming for the stupid Japanese government to ALLOW helicopters both from the Japanese Self Defense Forces, the US army etc..to fly food, supplies, sick folk in and out but this WAS NOT HAPPENING and people were STARVING!!! People all over the TOHOKU region where with out food and water etc..for many days, even weeks because the ROADS WERE DOWN?? Why are helis now ok in Wakayama but not in TOHOKU???

@Those who found game in disparaging this disaster: Shame on YOU. Disgusting behavior, the, 'Much ado about nothing' singular especially. Get down there and help out, man up and redeem yourself. RIP all those lost. Live life for the future as soon a you are able those who lost family, friends. Peace.

Elbuda, stop shouting. That did not happen as you said. Wakayama is not getting a different treatment. The actual problem in the rescue of Tohoku was the weather, awful during days. Helicopters couldn't fly everyday, they did whenever they could. You can surely find hours of archive videos of heli delivery in Tohoku as I remember seeing them at the news so many times. In this case, a few hours after the typhoon, the sky was clear. 100 dead, that's bad enough.

@ smithinjapan Do you think more bad weather and disasters are coming to Japan? is Japan headed for the big unforseen?

Tamesu San: I'm not sure why you are asking me, but I'll answer. Yes. Typhoon 14 (Kalup) is heading for Okinawa as we speak, and I can see it veering North-East and hitting the mainland, if previous typhoon paths are any indication. I hope it doesn't -- that's about the last thing we need right now.

As for Talas, a few posters were on about it being nothing more than a strong wind, and not dangerous. I hope they have rethought their comments -- this has affected a LOT of people.

The US Forces did fly in supplies...immediately. You should have seen the air here in Kanagawa. Copters taking off like crazy. Those big birds.