Japanese weather officials are warning that moist air is making atmospheric conditions in northern Japan extremely unstable and triggering heavy rain there.
Local authorities in Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan have issued evacuation orders to parts of two cities where heavy rain has increased the risk of landslides.
A severe tropical storm is expected to approach Japan's Ogasawara Islands in the Pacific Ocean later this week and the country's main island of Honshu next week.
Children at an elementary school in a village in Kumamoto Prefecture, southwestern Japan, have marked the third anniversary of deadly flooding that hit the region.
Meteorologists in Japan are warning of the risk of landslides or other disasters due to heavy rain in areas along the Sea of Japan coast through Saturday.
Japan's foreign minister has told his counterpart in the Caribbean island nation Barbados that Japan will continue to offer necessary support in the fields of environment, climate change and disaster mitigation.
Japanese weather officials are warning of heavy snow in Tokyo and the surrounding areas, as well as in the northeastern region of Tohoku, on Friday. Snow could accumulate even in central Tokyo and affect traffic.