Japan braces for Typhoon Shanshan, heavy rain and strong winds forecast

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan on Wednesday braced for Typhoon Shanshan, with heavy rain and strong winds forecast, forcing airlines and railways to cancel some services over the coming days.

Shanshan is expected to strike Japan's southwestern Kyushu island over the next few days, and the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said it may issue a special warning to Kagoshima prefecture.

"Maximum caution is required given that forecasts are for strong winds, high waves and high tides that have not been seen thus far," the JMA warned.

The typhoon is expected to approach Japan's central and eastern regions, which includes the capital Tokyo, around the weekend, according to JMA.

ANA Holdings plans to cancel 110 domestic flights on Wednesday slated to leave or arrive in southwestern Japan, affecting around 4,200 passengers, public broadcaster NHK said. Rival Japan Airlines plans to cancel 80 domestic flights from Wednesday to Friday, according to the report.

Some Shinkansen bullet train services in the area are expected to be cancelled on Wednesday and Thursday, NHK said.

(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko and Chang-Ran Kim; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)