A lingering rain front brought record rainfall across Japan on Friday, particularly in western and southwestern regions.
A mudslide struck two houses in Unzen, Nagasaki Prefecture, killing a woman in her 50s.
"It is highly possible that a serious disaster may occur. Please prepare yourself so that you can evacuate quickly regardless of where you are," said Ryuta Kurora, the head of the Meteorological Agency's forecast department at a press conference on Friday morning.
The agency had issued a special warning in Hiroshima Prefecture but scaled it down to a warning at 1 p.m.
An emergency call was received at about 4:10 a.m. on Friday reporting that buildings in Unzen had been hit by a mudslide.
According to police and other sources, an area of hillside spanning 50 meters collapsed, damaging two houses. It is believed that four people were in the properties.
A man in his 60s was rescued and a woman in her 50s was pronounced dead at the hospital. The whereabouts of the remaining two people were not known.
At a government meeting on the heavy rain situation on Friday morning, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told relevant ministers and officials to "collect necessary information and respond to the situation with utmost vigilance under a policy of putting human life first."
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