At least 19 people have died and eight are missing as whole neighbourhoods were swamped by torrential rain in southwest Japan.
Rivers burst their banks and flooded towns and villages in the main southern island of Kyushu.
Television footage showed torrents of muddy water carrying uprooted trees and other debris.
Reports showed residential streets in the city of Kumamoto buried in mud.
Battered cars that had been swept away by flood water were left dumped on hillsides in scenes reminiscent of the March 2011 tsunami in the northeast.
In the city of Aso, landslides buried 17 households and 17 people were killed with five more still missing.
Public broadcaster NHK showed rescuers continuing their search this morning, using heavy machinery to remove uprooted trees, boulders and debris as rain continued to fall.
The weather had eased somewhat, but the Japan Meteorological Agency said it expected "very heavy rain" again in Kyushu later today.
The downpours were set to add to the misery for an area where 50,000 people were ordered to leave their homes yesterday after it was lashed by the heaviest rainfall on record.
The weather agency urged residents of Kyushu to continue exercising vigilance against mudslides and floods after rainfall of 10.1cm per hour was recorded in the southern region of Kagoshima early today.
