A town in western Japan hit by flooding caused by torrential rain a year ago is now struggling with thefts targeting disaster victims who are working to rebuild their lives.
Police have called on people in the Mabicho district of Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, to "ensure they lock (their homes and vehicles) and keep an eye on valuable goods, especially now that the presence of vehicles (from outside the area) is more frequent than immediately after the disaster."
Mabicho was one of the areas hardest hit by the flooding and mudslides in western Japan in July last year that claimed the lives of 275 people.