HEAVY RAIN HAS triggered landslides and led swollen rivers to overflow in a region of Japan still recovering from a deadly earthquake earlier this year.

The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the highest level of alert for heavy rain across several cities in the Ishikawa prefecture, in Noto, including the worst-hit Wajima where authorities said one person was missing.

At least 12 rivers in Ishikawa breached their banks as of late this morning, according to the Land and Infrastructure Ministry. Residents were urged to use maximum caution against possible mudslides and building damage.

Up to 20cm of rainfall is predicted in the region within the next 24 hours through to Sunday lunchtime, the JMA said.

“Heavy rain is hitting the region that had been badly damaged by the Noto earthquake, and I believe many people are feeling very uneasy,” said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Hayashi said the government “puts people’s lives first” and its priority was search and rescue operations.

He also called on residents to pay close attention to the latest weather and evacuation advisories and take precautions early, adding that Self Defence Force troops have been dispatched to Ishikawa to join rescue efforts.

So far, there have been no reports of injuries from the heavy rain but many homes were flooded and some residents in two districts in Wajima have been stranded following landslides.

A number of roads flooded by muddy water were also blocked. Hokuriku Electric Power Company said about 6,500 homes were without power.

Heavy rain also fell in the nearby northern prefectures of Niigata and Yamagata, threatening flooding and other damages, officials said.

A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck the region on 1 January, killing more than 370 people and damaging roads and other key infrastructure.