Japan rain triggers floods and landslides in Ishikawa and Toyama

Tokyo,UPDATED: Aug 27, 2026 15:04 IST

Torrential rain hit Japan's north-central prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama on Thursday, triggering floods and landslides, closing roads and leaving people stranded in homes and vehicles.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued its highest Level 5 heavy rain warning for parts of the two prefectures and urged residents in affected areas to take precautions against possible flooding and landslides. The rain eased later in the day and the warning was lowered to medium, but the agency said more rain and landslides were possible through Friday morning.

The agency forecast up to 20 centimetres of rain in the Kaga and Noto areas through Friday morning. Authorities in the two prefectures advised more than 3,80,000 people to move to safer places.

Footage shown by public broadcaster NHK showed stranded residents in Himi city in Toyama being rescued in a rubber boat by relief workers wading through knee-high water. Several vehicles that had stalled on flooded roads were left behind.

In neighbouring Ishikawa prefecture, west of Toyama, flooding cut off 270 homes in three municipalities, though officials said there were no reports of injuries among the stranded residents. Heavy rain also caused landslides and road closures in Ishikawa. Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said several rivers had overflowed in the two prefectures, flooding many homes but with no reported injuries.

The severe weather also caused power cuts in more than 1,000 homes in Toyama and Ishikawa, according to Hokuriku Electric Power Co. Earlier this month, heavy rain and widespread flooding in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo, had left 13 people dead.

Thursday's rain in Ishikawa and Toyama brought flooding, landslides, road closures, rescues and power cuts, while authorities continued to warn of more rain and the risk of further landslides through Friday morning.

With PTI Inputs

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