The storms in Kyushu earlier this month not only ruined homes and roads but also dealt a blow to traditional businesses, including makers of liquor and pottery.

Communities in Fukuoka and Oita prefectures worry the devastation could make it even harder for aging owners of small and midsize firms to find successors.

"We have confirmed damage amounting to ¥10 billion at some 200 entities in the city of Asakura and the village of Toho," a senior member of the chamber of commerce in Asakura told industry minister Hiroshige Seko during a meeting in the city in Fukuoka Prefecture on July 14.