Flooding in parts of southern Japan caused by torrential rain has inundated many residential areas. Authorities say over 15 people have no vital signs and others are missing.
A band of clouds hung over southern Japan on Saturday, dumping rain on Kumamoto Prefecture although the downpour has eased for now.
The Bank of Japan's latest quarterly Tankan survey shows that business confidence among large manufactures plunged to the lowest level in over a decade amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It shows that sentiment at big manufactures in Japan fell to minus 34 in the April-June quarter, down from minus 8 in the previous survey.
An avalanche hit eight people who had been skiing off regular slopes at a ski resort in Hokkaido on Thursday. They are believed to be foreign tourists.
Police say one of the skiers went to seek help. They say one of the group, believed to be a French national, is in critical condition and the others have minor injuries.