Hello and welcome to today’s news from Japan Daily News on July 1st, 2024. Today, we have two significant news stories from Japan.

First, intense rainfall has been affecting western Japan, particularly the Kinki and Kyushu regions. This continuous heavy rain has increased the risk of landslides and flooding, prompting the Japan Meteorological Agency to issue a severe warning for these areas. The rainfall is expected to continue into the next day, with a high possibility of extremely heavy rain in western and eastern Japan. The agency is urging residents to be on high alert for landslides, flooding in low-lying areas, and river overflow.

In other news, the latest data on ‘route prices,’ which serve as the basis for inheritance taxes and other assessments, have been released. The nationwide average of route prices has seen a three-year consecutive increase, with the rate of increase being the highest since 2010. This rise can be attributed to the strong demand from inbound tourists and ongoing redevelopment projects across the country.

Moving on to other news, due to heavy rain, the city of Nakatsu in Oita Prefecture has issued evacuation orders for a total of 5,994 households, comprising approximately 12,190 individuals. This Level 4 alert, the second-highest on the five-level warning system, advises everyone in the affected areas to evacuate immediately. The areas under evacuation orders include the Sanko, Motoyamakawa, Yamakuni, and Yamato regions of Nakatsu City.

In transportation news, JR East has announced the resumption of train services on the Takasaki Line between Tokyo Station and Takasaki Station, as well as on the Shonan-Shinjuku Line’s section that runs through the Takasaki Line north of Shinjuku Station. These services had been temporarily suspended due to a personal accident. The suspension began at around 9:21 am and lasted until approximately 10:40 am.

Furthermore, the city of Matsumoto in Nagano Prefecture has issued evacuation orders for the Kamikochi area due to the increased risk of landslides. This Level 4 alert advises all individuals in the area to evacuate immediately. Although there are no residential areas in the affected region, there are tourists and employees of accommodations present.

Lastly, the Yamaguchi Prefecture and Shimonoseki Regional Meteorological Observatory have issued a ‘flood danger information’ for the Atsuto River in Ube City. The water level at the Moseji River Gauge Station has reached the ‘flood danger level,’ indicating the possibility of flooding and water intrusion due to embankment breaches. Residents are urged to confirm evacuation information from local authorities and take appropriate disaster prevention measures.

That’s all for today’s news. Stay safe and stay informed. Thank you for listening to Japan Daily News. And now for the weather. Today in Tokyo, the weather will be partly cloudy with a maximum temperature of 28°C and a minimum temperature of 25°C. There is a 83% chance of rain and a UV index of 3. Visit JapanDailyNews.com for the news, yen exchange rates, and a daily Japanese proverb.