Local Japanese politician killed in mudslide as heavy rain hits Sea of Japan coast

A city assembly member who had gone missing in Japan's Toyama Prefecture was confirmed dead on Thursday, as torrential rain pounded regions facing the Sea of Japan late Wednesday, triggering mudslides, local media reported.

The body of Nobuhiko Akaike, a member of the Nanto assembly, was recovered Thursday at the site of a mudslide disaster in the city, Kyodo News said, citing local police.

The local politician went missing while going around a neighborhood urging residents to flee due to the risk of a nearby river overflowing, it added.

The prefectures of Ishikawa and Toyama on the Sea of Japan coast saw bands of heavy rain clouds develop on Wednesday night, said the report.

Ishikawa Prefecture logged a record six-hour rainfall of 199 mm during the night in Kahoku, while Toyama Prefecture registered a downpour of 170.5 mm in Kamiichi, another record high, it added.

The Japan Meteorological Agency has forecast heavy downpours with thunder in western Japan, particularly regions facing the Sea of Japan, on Thursday and in eastern Japan through Friday.