See Japan Tornado Video

TOKYO -- A tornado tore through a city northeast of Japan's capital on Sunday, killing one person, injuring dozens of others and destroying scores of houses.

Firefighters and medical teams rushed to the area after the tornado struck Tsukuba city, 60 kilometers (40 miles) from Tokyo. The city is a science center, with dozens of research and academic institutes, but the tornado appeared to mostly hit residential areas.A 14-year-old boy died after being injured by the storm, Tsukuba Medical Center said. It said about 200 homes were damaged. Tokyo Electric Power Co. said 24,000 homes were without electricity as lightning added to the storm's damage. Tornadoes are relatively rare in the Tokyo area.