News On Japan

Level 5 Flooding Report Issued for Rivers in Tokushima

Tokushima, Jun 03, 2026 - [updated 03:30 a.m.] Authorities issued a Level 5 Flood Occurrence Information alert for the Kuwano River and the Naka River tributary in Tokushima Prefecture, warning that flooding may already be underway and urging residents to take immediate action to protect their lives.

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, flooding may have already occurred within the section monitored by the Ohara (unembanked) reference observation station. In Anan City, there is a risk that inundation has already begun in some areas.

Officials are calling on residents near the affected rivers to take the safest possible action immediately. Authorities warned that attempting to travel to designated evacuation shelters at this stage could, in some cases, place people in greater danger.

Residents who must evacuate outdoors are urged to carefully assess surrounding conditions before moving. Depending on the situation, people are advised to seek refuge on higher floors within their current buildings or move to any nearby location that offers greater safety.

Officials emphasized that basements, ground floors and other low-lying spaces are particularly dangerous, as floodwaters can rapidly flow into these areas.

After carefully checking local conditions, residents are being urged to act without delay and take whatever measures are necessary to protect their lives.

Related news:

Typhoon No. 6 Disrupts Rail, Road and Air Travel Across Japan

Typhoon No. 6 Makes Landfall in Southern Wakayama

Source: TBS

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Typhoon No. 7 (Mekkhala) was continuing north with very strong intensity as of 6 p.m. on June 22, with forecasters warning that a rainy-season front already stalled near Japan and a newly formed tropical depression to the south could combine to increase the risk of heavy rain in western and eastern Japan while making the typhoon’s track after the weekend highly uncertain. The immediate concern is not only the typhoon itself, but the way its warm, moist air is expected to interact with the rainy-season front near Japan. Even if the main body of the storm remains some distance away, moisture drawn northward around the typhoon could flow into the front and make rain clouds more active, creating conditions for heavy rain or prolonged rainfall.

Japan will begin a new system on June 23 to sell paint and thinner directly from manufacturers to construction firms and other businesses, aiming to ease supply bottlenecks and curb price increases as worsening conditions in the Middle East make such materials harder to obtain.

Three bear cubs were spotted climbing a tree in Hirogawa, Wakayama Prefecture, on the morning of June 22, prompting the town to put up warning signs and call on residents to stay alert, although no injuries or damage have been reported.

Mosquitoes are appearing earlier than usual this year, raising fears of a major summer outbreak as experts warn that warm May weather and repeated light rain have created ideal breeding conditions across residential areas.

Bear attacks and sightings are increasing across Japan, with multiple people injured on June 17 and experts warning that bears are becoming more accustomed to human environments, potentially leading to more dangerous and unpredictable encounters in the years ahead.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

JR Central said on June 22 that it will operate a special one-day-only Tokaido Shinkansen train that departs at night and arrives the following morning, as the company explores demand for overnight travel at a time of rising hotel costs.

Ahead of Mount Fuji’s July climbing season, two newly installed evacuation shelters have been unveiled on the Yoshida descent route to strengthen safety measures against eruptions, rockfalls and severe weather.

About 240 people gathered before dawn on June 21 at Futami Okitama Shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture, to pray for good health during a summer solstice ritual held in front of the Meoto Iwa rocks.

Shizuoka Prefecture has launched a working group to consider enforceable restrictions on off-season climbing of Mount Fuji, after a series of reckless ascents during the mountain’s closure period led local leaders to demand tighter entry controls and a system requiring climbers to pay rescue costs.

The eruption alert level for Mount Tokachidake in Hokkaido was raised to Level 2 on June 18 for the first time in 12 years, prompting authorities to restrict entry within 1.5 kilometers of the crater and close parts of hiking trails just days before the mountain’s official opening for the summer climbing season.

Bear attacks and sightings are increasing across Japan, with multiple people injured on June 17 and experts warning that bears are becoming more accustomed to human environments, potentially leading to more dangerous and unpredictable encounters in the years ahead.

Kyoto's Myoshin-ji Temple, one of Japan's largest Zen temple complexes, is facing a growing problem that temple officials warn could eventually lead to costly restoration work and even pose safety risks to visitors.

A long-abandoned sightseeing boat that has sat tilted in a canal in Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture, for nearly eight years is finally being removed by city authorities after officials determined the deteriorating vessel posed a serious safety risk.