Waves crash against the breakwall in Udono, central Japan (Daiji Yanagida - AP)

Trains and flights were suspended and business in Tokyo was all but shut down as the typhoon made landfall around 2 p.m. local-time. Winds were estimated at 100mph, the equivalent to a Category 2 hurricane, according to AccuWeather. 

The rainfall, which was as much as 17 inches in some areas, has already caused significant flooding.

The Associated Press reported that hundreds of survivors from the March 11 tsunami living in government shelters have fled the area for fear of mudslides. 

Now downgraded to a tropical storm, Roke has moved northeast toward the Sendai region, which was devastated by a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunami earlier this year. 

Officials reported no immediate problems at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.Roke dumped eight inches of rain on Fukushima, but the damaged plant was spared most of the worst weather.

“The worst seems to be over,” said Takeo Iwamoto, spokesman for plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. 

Workers rushed to secure the site against the heavy rain and winds earlier this week by placing tarpaulin on holes and tying down loose cables and hoses. 

In Tokyo, thousands of commuters have been stranded across the city either waiting for the trains to restart or frantically searching for hotel accommodations in the vicinity.

Track of Roke in local time (AccuWeather)

Reach staff reporter Gabriella Hecht here.