Typhoon Chaba, which means hibiscus in Thai, was some 250 kilometres (155 miles) southwest of Tokyo, packing winds of up to 162 kilometres per hour near its centre, said the agency.

It was moving northeast off Japan's Pacific coast at a speed of 45 kilometres per hour, on course to affect the Tokyo region late Saturday, the agency said.

Airline companies have cancelled at least 34 domestic and 16 international flights because of strong winds, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The agency said the typhoon may make landfall in eastern Japan, warning residents in the region "to be on alert over strong winds, high waves, thunderstorms and floods on low-lying land."

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties because of the typhoon.

On Friday, more than 250 residents were evacuated to public halls and schools, while 19 flights were cancelled on the Amami islands, 1,300 kilometres southwest of Tokyo, as the typhoon bore down on the far-southern islands.

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