DailyDrop Japan edition No. 18 · Morning · THU., OCT. 22, 2026 · Special Flood Warning for Akita’s Koyoshi River, Switched to…

On the 21st the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a “Level 5 special flood warning,” saying a flood had been confirmed on the Koyoshi River in Akita Prefecture. NHK reported that a rapidly developing low-pressure system and a weather front brought record heavy rain to Akita Prefecture. NHK’s footage shows water spilling onto a road beside the Koyoshi River in Yurihonjo around 6 p.m. on the 21st. Mainichi Shimbun flashed word that no information on injuries had come in. According to NHK, at 2:20 a.m. on the 22nd the agency switched the special warning to a “Level 2 flood advisory.” Jiji Press reported the same switch. Saitama Shimbun, via Yahoo! News, reported that Typhoon No. 30 has a central pressure of 900 hectopascals and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 85 meters.

A special flood warning is the highest-level information, issued when a flood has already occurred or is imminent, and it signals a situation in which people should act to protect their lives. The switch to an advisory means the water level has fallen, but the actual damage in the flooded areas has yet to be confirmed.

If you have family or business contacts in Akita Prefecture, check the municipalities’ evacuation and damage information and the road and rail service updates. Elsewhere, too, it is worth confirming your hazard map and evacuation site before a typhoon approaches.

Some focus on the fact that the water level fell and the special warning was switched to an advisory before dawn. The information was updated within hours of the flood being confirmed, and it is taken to mean the worst has passed.

Others see the full extent of the damage as still to come. The absence of injury information dates from the flash on the night of the 21st, and the numbers of flooded homes and evacuees have not yet been reported. There is also a view that vigilance cannot be relaxed because Typhoon No. 30 follows.

What is confirmed: the flood was confirmed, the special warning was issued, it was switched to an advisory at 2:20 a.m., and there was no information on injuries as of the night of the 21st. The number of flooded homes, the number of evacuees and the track of Typhoon No. 30 are not confirmed. Today we watch for the announcement of damage and the Meteorological Agency’s typhoon track forecast.

NHK (Akita: Koyoshi River special flood warning switched to flood advisory, 10/22) · Jiji Press (Koyoshi River: special warning switched to advisory, 10/22) · Mainichi Shimbun (Flooding of Akita’s Koyoshi River, no information on injuries, 10/21) · Saitama Shimbun (Typhoon No. 30 moving north at violent strength, via Yahoo! News, 10/21)

Society · DisasterPress ✓ 4 outlets · the number of flooded homes and evacuees is unconfirmed

Special Flood Warning for Akita’s Koyoshi River, Switched to Advisory Before Dawn on the 22nd

The Koyoshi River floods in record-rain Akita Prefecture; the Japan Meteorological Agency lowers it to “Level 2” at 2:20 a.m.

Record heavy rain, brought by a rapidly developing low-pressure system and a weather front, hit Akita Prefecture. On the 21st the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a “Level 5 special flood warning” for the Koyoshi River, saying a flood had been confirmed. Multiple outlets reported that overtopping was confirmed, and NHK reported that flooding was confirmed. A special flood warning is the highest-level information among the five alert levels, issued when a river flood has occurred or is imminent. Footage released by NHK was shot around 6 p.m. on the 21st from a car heading south along a road beside the Koyoshi River in Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, and shows water spilling onto the road. It was reportedly filmed by a relative of the driver from the passenger seat. Mainichi Shimbun flashed word that no information on injuries from the flooding had come in.

After midnight, on the 22nd, the situation changed. According to NHK, at 2:20 a.m. the agency switched the Koyoshi River’s “Level 5 special flood warning” to a “Level 2 flood advisory.” Jiji Press also reported that the agency had switched the special warning to an advisory. The extent of flooding and the number of damaged homes after the switch have not been confirmed in what has been reported. Meanwhile, Saitama Shimbun flashed word via Yahoo! News that the large Typhoon No. 30 is moving north at violent strength, with a current central pressure of 900 hectopascals and a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 85 meters. The paper also conveys the view that the typhoon may curve toward the Japanese archipelago. A confirmed track forecast had not been presented as of that report.

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By the numbers

Level 5→2Alert level for the Koyoshi River (switched at 2:20 a.m. on the 22nd)

900hPaCentral pressure of Typhoon No. 30 (Saitama Shimbun)

85mMaximum instantaneous wind speed of Typhoon No. 30 (Saitama Shimbun)

Nikkei reported that it became clear on the 21st that PHP, said to be used on about 7 in 10 of the world’s websites, has a serious vulnerability. ITmedia NEWS reported that the PHP development project announced it would release, at 11 p.m. Japan time on the 21st, an update fixing 2 vulnerabilities of the highest severity, “Critical.” Both could allow remote code execution, and a wide range of environments, including older versions, may be affected, it said. GMO Flatt Security presumes it to be a memory corruption bug and believes it involves the Session Upload Progress feature. Nikkei reported that Sakura Net suspended some functions of the Sakura Rental Server in response. Mainichi Shimbun flashed word that the city of Sapporo had temporarily suspended its official website, and Jiji Press reported that Prime Minister Takaichi had urged caution on social media.

Because PHP underpins many sites and SaaS products, a single flaw can affect many services at once. The period around the release of a fix is when the details of a flaw become known and attacks tend to rise, so a string of precautionary measures to stop functions first followed.

If you run a company site or online shop on PHP, check when the fix will be applied and the notices from your rental server company. As a user, avoid reusing passwords and check the services’ recovery notices.

Some praise the precautionary maintenance. Stopping functions before the fix was released, and the temporary suspension of an official website by a local government, is taken as a move to limit the spread of damage.

Others point to the impact of the simultaneous stoppages. Childcare-center SaaS, a game and online shops went down at the same time, and ITmedia also took up the debate over whether the surge in unauthorized access will lead to a “move away from SaaS.”

What is confirmed: the existence of 2 serious vulnerabilities, the planned release of the fix at 11 p.m. Japan time on the 21st, emergency maintenance at multiple services, and the temporary suspension of the Sapporo city site. Whether hijackings or data leaks actually occurred is not confirmed. Today we watch for the recovery status of each service and reports of damage after the fix is released.

ITmedia NEWS (2 “Emergency”-level vulnerabilities in PHP, 10/21) · Nikkei (Serious weakness in the programming language “PHP,” 10/21) · Mainichi Shimbun (Sapporo temporarily suspends official website, 10/22) · Jiji Press (Prime Minister Takaichi urges caution on social media, 10/21)

Technology · CyberPress ✓ 4 outlets · whether any damage occurred after the fix was released is unconfirmed

Serious PHP Vulnerability: Emergency Maintenance Hits Sakura Rental Server and Others One After Another

It became clear on the 21st that PHP, a programming language said to be used on about 7 in 10 of the world’s websites, has a serious vulnerability, Nikkei reported. According to experts, sites could be hijacked or data stolen. ITmedia NEWS reported that the PHP development project announced it would release, at 11 p.m. Japan time on the 21st, an update fixing 2 vulnerabilities of the highest severity, “Critical.” Both could allow remote code execution, and a wide range of environments, including older versions, may be affected, it said. GMO Flatt Security presumes the vulnerability to be a “memory corruption bug” and believes that, if it matches the firm’s own investigation, it involves PHP’s Session Upload Progress feature. This vulnerability is being called “php2shell.” Ahead of the release, Sakura Net suspended some functions of the “Sakura Rental Server,” and ITmedia reported that the childcare-center SaaS “Codmon,” the game “Shadowverse: Worlds Beyond,” BASE and others went into emergency maintenance. Mainichi Shimbun flashed word that the city of Sapporo had temporarily suspended its official website, and Jiji Press reported that Prime Minister Takaichi had urged caution on social media. Whether any damage occurred after the fix was released has not been confirmed.

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French 10-Year Yield Briefly Hits 5%, Highest in About 24 YearsNHK reported that, on concerns about worsening public finances, the yield on 10-year French government bonds briefly reached 5%. It is the highest level in about 24 years.International Economy · Press ✓ 1 outlet

NHK reported that the Japan Securities Dealers Association released a report on the future of the corporate bond market. The association said that if companies keep investing actively, bond financing outstanding in 2040 is expected to grow to 620 trillion yen, more than 4 times the current level. The report includes, among other things, making the securities industry’s work on developing the corporate bond market a priority. NHK’s article was distributed in the first hour after midnight on the 22nd. The specifics of the development work and the response of individual firms have not been confirmed in what has been reported.

Corporate bonds are a way for companies to raise funds from the market, and as the share relying on bank borrowing falls, the development of the market affects the flow of funds across the economy. The expectation that outstanding will exceed 4 times the current level by 2040 is an estimate premised on companies continuing to invest.

For individual investors, what matters is whether an environment in which corporate bonds are easier to buy takes shape. Anyone considering them should check the redemption date, the issuer’s creditworthiness and how easily the bond can be sold for cash.

Some take the expansion of the market positively. Companies gain more choices for raising funds, and investors gain more places to put their money.

Others point out that the estimate depends on its premises. If the premise that companies keep investing falls away, the outlook for growth could change. Until specifics on development are shown, an assessment is hard to make.

What is confirmed: that the Japan Securities Dealers Association expects corporate bond outstanding of 620 trillion yen in 2040, more than 4 times the current level, and that it will make development a priority. The specifics of the development and the actual growth are not confirmed. Today we watch for further announcements from the association and the response of securities firms.

NHK (JSDA announces policy to develop corporate bond market toward 2040, 10/22)

JSDA Sees Corporate Bond Outstanding Growing to 620 Trillion Yen by 2040The Japan Securities Dealers Association said that if companies keep investing, corporate bonds outstanding would grow to more than 4 times the current level, and made developing the market a priority.Finance · Press ✓ 1 outlet

Chiyoda Ward By-Election: LDP to “Forfeit,” With Governor Koike Out FrontAsahi Shimbun flashed word that the LDP is set to forfeit the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly by-election in Chiyoda Ward. Governor Koike will take the lead in the backing effort.Politics · Press ✓ 1 outlet

2 Japanese Men Climbing in the Nepal Himalayas MissingAccording to NHK, the 2 Japanese men have been unaccounted for since October 15, and a search continues on site in central Nepal.International · Press ✓ 1 outlet

Yomiuri Shimbun reported that the organizing committee of the Nagoya Asian Para Games said on the 21st that at the taekwondo medal ceremony held on the 19th, the Iranian anthem was mistakenly played to the end for the winning Taiwanese athlete. The committee apologized after a protest from the Taiwanese side. The event is the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games. The name and weight class of the winning athlete at the ceremony have not been confirmed in what has been reported. Measures to prevent a recurrence and details of the procedure for playing anthems are not given either.

Because an anthem is treated as a symbol of an athlete and of a country or region, an error at a medal ceremony can be a serious matter for athletes and those involved. At international events the accuracy of operations is scrutinized, and an explanation of how the error came about and how it will be prevented bears on trust in the Games.

Spectators and officials at the Games will want to see whether the running of future medal ceremonies improves. It shows that at international events, still greater care is needed in how participating countries and regions are labeled and how anthems are handled.

Some see the committee’s apology as a sincere response. Having admitted the error and apologized after the protest, it is taken as a move to keep the problem from growing.

Others say an explanation of the cause of the error is needed. Why the error happened and how a recurrence will be prevented have not been shown, leaving doubts about the operating structure.

What is confirmed: that at the ceremony on the 19th the Iranian anthem was played to the end for a Taiwanese athlete, and that Taiwan protested and the committee apologized. The athlete’s name, the cause of the error and the preventive measures are not confirmed. Today we watch for a further explanation from the committee and the reaction of the Taiwanese side.

Yomiuri Shimbun (“Iranian anthem” played to the end for winning Taiwanese athlete, taekwondo medal ceremony, 10/21)

Iranian Anthem Played for Taiwanese Athlete at Asian Para Games Taekwondo Medal CeremonyThe Nagoya Asian Para Games organizing committee said that at the ceremony on the 19th, the Iranian anthem was mistakenly played to the end for the winning Taiwanese athlete.Sports · Press ✓ 1 outlet

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Special Flood Warning for Akita’s Koyoshi River, Switched to Advisory Before Dawn on the 22nd

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