The land ministry will suspend water restrictions in Tokyo and its five neighboring prefectures following the heavy rains brought by Typhoon Pabuk, ministry officials said Thursday.

On Aug. 10, Tokyo, Saitama, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Chiba prefectures were ordered to reduce their water intake by 10 percent due to low water levels behind eight dams on the upper reaches of the Tone River.

It was the first summer water restriction involving the Tone River since the nationwide drought of August 1996.

The restrictions were temporarily eased Aug. 14, however, and officials of the Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Ministry said they will officially be lifted when it dissolves the regional drought task force next week.