Heavy rain lashes Pacific coast of Japan, highest alert issued

Heavy rain lashed areas along the Pacific coast of Japan on Saturday, prompting a city near Tokyo to issue the highest level of evacuation alert for residents. With a seasonal rain front bringing downpours in the Tokyo metropolitan area and the Tokai region in central Japan, shinkansen bullet train runs were briefly suspended in sections between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka, according to operator Central Japan Railway Co. Due to rising rivers in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, south of Tokyo, the city government ordered local residents to ensure their safety immediately, issuing the highest level of e...