Powerful Typhoon Matsa was heading toward southern Okinawa Prefecture on Thursday morning, the Meteorological Agency said.
Miyakojima and Yaeyama islands entered the storm wind zone around noon, the agency said.
The typhoon was generating winds of up to 144 kph near its center and was located about 110 km south-southeast of Ishigaki Island at around 11 a.m. Thursday. It was headed north-northwest at 15 kph.
The season's ninth typhoon is expected to pass through the region between Thursday evening and early Friday, the agency said. The typhoon has an atmospheric pressure of up to 955 hectopascals, it said.
The agency said that some areas could expect up to 300 mm of rain in the 24 hours through noon Friday.