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.
Just as in previous natural disasters, including the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Japan’s non-combat military Self-Defence Force is playing a major role in the rescue operations and it is receiving lots of praise so far.
