Typhoon Man-yi, one of the largest storms in decades, also forced thousands to flee their homes and caused power blackouts on the island.

The typhoon struck Kyushu after storming through the southern island of Okinawa on Friday, moving north-east at 35 kmh, the Meteorological Agency said.

In Kagoshima, on the southern part of Kyushu, an 11-year-old boy drowned in a river after falling in.

'He apparently fell in the river as he tried to retrieve a ball... while playing with a cousin,' said a local police officer.

At least 45 people were injured in the Kyushu region and Okinawa, the local authorities said yesterday.

The storm paralysed Japan's air transportation, stranding tens of thousands of passengers, including US nuclear envoy Christopher Hill.

Mr Hill is visiting Japan on the start of his Asian tour ahead of six-nation talks.

'I would expect to be getting on to the ROK (Republic of Korea) probably on Monday, rather than Sunday night because of the weather,' he told reporters.

The storm forced All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines to cancel 470 flights, affecting about 50,800 passengers.

Man-yi - named after a strait that is now a reservoir in Hong Kong - is expected to arrive in Tokyo today.

AFP, Reuters