Heavy rain pounded Akita Prefecture in northeastern Japan on Saturday due to an active seasonal rain front, triggering river flooding and landslides that have left four injured.
The cities of Akita and Noshiro issued an alert urging residents to immediately get to safety after local rivers broke their banks, while areas near JR Akita Station became partially submerged in floodwater.
The Japan Meteorological Agency is calling for people to be vigilant in the northeastern region as heavy precipitation is forecast to continue on Sunday.
Bullet train services were suspended between Morioka and Akita stations, the operator of the Akita Shinkansen line said. Services will remain halted on Sunday and likely the following day.
According to local authorities, four people suffered minor injuries after a landslide hit a house in the city of Akita. Many areas of Akita Prefecture have also seen significant flooding, with some residents needing to be rescued by boat.
The streets in front of Akita Station were flooded, with people seen rolling up their pants to cross the roads. Many cars were abandoned on roads after their drivers were left apparently stranded.
Jumpei Ogiwara, 45, said he had tried to rescue residents who had been hit by a mudslide, which occurred near a shop where he works, but he was unable to access the site as the area was underwater.
"The second floor of the house was heavily damaged," he said.
As of 8 p.m., the Nibetsu area of the prefectural capital received 301 millimeters of 24-hour rainfall, while the town of Fujisato observed 267.5 mm and the city of Oga saw 244 mm -- all record-highs. In some areas, rainfall was higher than their entire monthly averages for July.
The rain front is expected to linger around the Tohoku region in Japan's northeast through Sunday, the weather agency said, forecasting up to 120 mm of rainfall in the region in the 24 hours through 6 p.m. Sunday.
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