Victims of 2020 Kumamoto Heavy Rains Mourned 5 Years On

   Kuma, Kumamoto Pref., July 4 (Jiji Press)--Residents of the village of Kuma in Kumamoto Prefecture on Friday mourned the victims of deadly torrential rains that struck the southwestern Japan prefecture five years ago.
   The July 2020 downpours, which caused floods and mudslides, left 67 people dead, including indirect fatalities, and two others missing. In Kuma, 25 lives were lost in the disaster.
   Village officials and others observed a moment of silence in front of a floral tribute stand set up in the first-floor lobby of the village hall.
   "We will pass on our memories and lessons to the next generation without letting them fade away," Kuma Mayor Koichi Matsutani said in a speech.
   Village assembly speaker Harutaka Funato, 74, offered flowers for the victims for the first time. He had been quietly remembering the deceased in his temporary housing after a neighbor was killed due to the heavy rains. But he decided to pay a visit to the flower stand this year.

(2025/07/04-13:51)