Typhoon Shanshan weakens to tropical storm as central Japan soaks

    TOKYO, Sept. 1 Kyodo - Typhoon Shanshan weakened to a tropical storm on Sunday after being nearly stationary off the Pacific coast of central Japan, but heavy rains still caused rail service and other disruptions in the region.

    Tokaido Shinkansen bullet trains, which had been partially suspended, restarted operations between Tokyo and the western city of Osaka by reducing the number of trains at around 6 p.m., according to operator JR Central.

    At least seven people have been confirmed dead as a result of weather brought by the typhoon, which crawled eastward after making landfall on the country's southwestern main island of Kyushu on Thursday.

    More than 120 people have been injured, with over 1,000 homes damaged due to gusts of wind and flooding.

    The deaths were caused by a landslide, a house collapse and other incidents that occurred as the typhoon swept through southwestern and western regions of the country, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and local governments.

    Due to humid air brought by the typhoon, many parts of the country experienced record amounts of rain.

    With more rainfall expected to hit the Pacific coast areas of eastern Japan, the agency warned residents to be wary of landslides and overflowing rivers.

==Kyodo