The death toll reached at least 18, with more than 20 people out of contact in Fukuoka and over 500 stranded in Oita, local authorities said.
Police and fire departments of the prefectures, the Self-Defense Forces and the Japan Coast Guard have mobilized some 12,000 personnel to search for missing people, racing against time as 72 hours have passed since the Japan Meteorological Agency issued special emergency warnings against downpours in Fukuoka and Oita in the early evening on Thursday. Survival rates are believed to fall rapidly after 72 hours.
An emergency warning is issued to prevent people's lives from being endangered when the agency sees an imminent risk of an unusually massive natural disaster that may happen only once in decades.
As of late Saturday, 13 people had been confirmed dead in the city of Asakura in Fukuoka, two in the village of Toho in the same prefecture and three in the city of Hita in Oita.
Reuters - Nov 26
Japan detected the first case of highly pathogenic H5-type bird flu this season at a poultry farm in the south of the country, public broadcaster NHK reported on Saturday.
News On Japan - Nov 25
A JR West Japan train conductor has been arrested for secretly filming eight women in the toilet of the express train "Haruka" while on duty.
NHK - Nov 25
A Japanese government panel has proposed changes to a program for on-the-job training of foreign workers after the initiative was cited for labor abuses.
Reuters - Nov 25
Japan passed on Friday an extra budget worth around 13.1 trillion yen ($88 billion) aimed at helping households cope with the rising cost of living and corporations boost domestic investment, even amid concerns over the country's worsening finances.
NHK - Nov 24
Japanese police are investigating a stabbing incident that took place at a music arena in Yokohama City, south of Tokyo, on Thursday.
NHK - Nov 24
Tokyo has a new landmark, a 330-meter-high skyscraper that opened on Friday. The Mori JP tower has 64 floors for shops, offices and residences. It's the tallest building in Japan, a title that previously belonged to the Abeno Harukas commercial and business tower in Osaka, western Japan.
News On Japan - Nov 23
As street dance reaches fever pitch in the lead up to the 2024 Paris Olympics with the inclusion of breakdancing, one of Japan's largest street dance events was held in Yoyogi Park, Shibuya, Tokyo.
News On Japan - Nov 23
A wild boar that ran riot in a school in northern Japan on Thursday, smashing windows and frightening students and parents, is still on the loose in a residential area in Sendai, with local police receiving about 20 reports.