Japan braces as Tropical Storm Dujuan set to restrengthen into typhoon

As Tropical Storm Dujuan retraces its strengthening arc toward typhoon status, the volcanic Izu Islands south of Tokyo find themselves in the path of a system that refuses to relent. The storm reminds us that nature's rhythms do not honor the boundaries we draw between safe and endangered ground — even a near-miss can compress a month's worth of rain into a single day. While Japan's great mainland cities brace for the outer edges of Dujuan's reach, the quietude of the Atlantic hurricane season offers a strange counterpoint, as if the world's storms are gathering their energies unevenly, leavin