Japan's ancient capital braced itself for further rain Saturday night amid concerns about rising rivers, while canceled bullet trains due to severe rain and flooding in western Japan left tourists stranded and scrambling to find alternative routes.
Evacuation orders or advisories were issued for many towns and villages in other parts of Kyoto Prefecture due to fears of mudslides caused by the record-breaking rainfall.
In Kyoto's Arashiyama district, the Togetsukyo bridge, a popular tourist site that crosses the Katsura River and offers great views of the surrounding mountains in the autumn and winter months, reopened at noon Saturday after having been closed due worries about floodwaters caused by torrential rains that pounded the area. As rickshaw drivers waited for customers, a few tourists stood either on the bridge or beside it, taking photos of the raging river.