About thousand American troops are based in Japan. Minister Koizumi sent Japanes

Japan is a leading trading partner and security ally of the United States. About fifty thousand American troops are based in Japan. Minister Koizumi sent Japanese troops to assist rebuilding in Iraq. And Japanese ships provide fuel for the military operations in Afghanistan.

Winds in severe ocean storms can reach speeds of more than two hundred fifty kilometers an hour. Up to fifty centimeters of rain can fail. Some storms have produced more than one hundred fifty centimeters of rain.