Local authorities in Kyushu began construction of temporary homes on Wednesday for those displaced by massive downpours earlier in the month that left at least 34 dead and seven missing.
The Fukuoka prefectural government plans to build a total of 57 units in the city of Asakura and the village of Toho, two areas hit hardest by the disaster, in about a month so that residents can start moving in by mid-August.
Torrential rains in Kyushu beginning two weeks ago caused massive flooding and mudslides that destroyed homes and roads, displacing more than 2,000 people at one point in neighboring Fukuoka and Oita prefectures. About 800 people were still unable to return to their homes as of Tuesday.