Record-breaking heavy rain in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, caused landslides that destroyed homes and resulted in at least two deaths, while authorities rushed to assess the damage and monitor risk areas.
On 20 July 2026, NHK reported that record-breaking heavy rain in Tochigi Prefecture, north of Tokyo, Japan, caused multiple landslides over the past weekend, resulting in at least two fatalities.
Reports stated that the landslides occurred in Ashikaga city. On Sunday, officials found an unconscious man inside a house destroyed by a landslide; he was later confirmed dead. Earlier on Saturday, officials found an unconscious woman at the scene who died after being taken to hospital.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said moist air masses covering Tochigi and Gunma prefectures caused prolonged cloud formation over the same area, leading to continuous heavy rainfall that broke previous records.
Ashikaga recorded 232.5 millimeters of accumulated rainfall within 12 hours until 2 a.m. on Saturday, the highest since records began, exceeding nearly 40% of the average rainfall for the entire month of July. Many areas remain at risk of landslides and flash floods.
Source: NHK