A 72-year-old fisherman died after being thrown out of his boat in high waves in the Sea of Japan off Toyama prefecture, northwest of Tokyo, a local government official said.

'Another man has separately been missing, while six others were injured in wind-related incidents,' the official said, adding that more than 200 houses were flooded as high surf engulfed large areas near the coast.

About 150 flights have been cancelled, mostly those departing and arriving at New Chitose Airport, the biggest airport in the northern island of Hokkaido, affecting more than 28,000 people, Kyodo News reported.

Services were disrupted for about four hours from Sunday morning on the Tohoku Shinkansen Line, a high-speed rail link between Tokyo and key northern cities.

Some 3,000 homes in Tochigi prefecture, north of Tokyo, suffered blackouts Sunday morning as cables were cut by wind-whipped trees, local media reported. -- AFP