Widespread flooding and landslides in north-east Japan have forced more than 90,000 people to abandon their homes.
The city of Joso, north of the capital, Tokyo, was hit by a wall of water after the Kinugawa River burst its banks.
Helicopter rescue teams have been plucking people from rooftops.
One person has been reported missing in the region and at least 12 are injured.
The rains come a day after a tropical storm brought winds of up to 125km/h to central Aichi prefecture.
The chief forecaster at the Japan Meteorological Agency , Takuya Deshimaru, said that the rainfall was "unprecedented" for that part of Japan.
