As the death toll passes 100, we look at why the floods struck and if the forecast was accurate.
A typhoon and a stalled rain band combined to give Japan phenomenal amounts of rain, causing flooding and landslides that have killed more than 114 people.
The rain, however, started even before this, giving way to even more destruction.
On June 28, several days of heavy rain caused the Osaka River in central Honshu’s Gifu Prefecture to break through its embankment.
Mud hurtled down the hillside, making a major road impassable and leaving 81 local residents and hotel guests cut off.
Landslides were also reported in the city of Gero, where a concrete bridge was swept away.
Then, on July 3, Typhoon Prapiroon skirted the Kyushu island and grazed the north coast of Honshu.
The storm brought torrential downpours across many parts of Kyushu and Honshu, including the prefecture of Gifu where the ground was already saturated.
The risk of landslides and flash flooding was forecast in Gifu and neighbouring regions, but for many, the worst of the weather struck after the typhoon cleared away.
Trailing behind Typhoon Prapiroon was a line of clouds and rain that remained in place for three days.
