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On July 7, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a meeting of the Ministerial Council on the Heavy Rain from July 5.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“The heavy rains, caused by the seasonal rain front, have resulted in unprecedented and record-breaking rainfall across a wide area of the country and are causing damage throughout Japan. This includes western Japan, where a series of heavy rain emergency warnings have been issued yesterday.
 
I pray for the repose of the souls of those who lost their lives and I extend my sincere condolences to everyone who has been affected by the disaster.
 
Even now, rivers are overflowing and landslides are taking place. We are also receiving many reports of people whose safety has not been confirmed. This is an extremely serious situation. Based on a policy of putting people’s lives first, I want you to dispatch rescue teams without further delay and exert every effort for the rescue and relief of all affected people.
 
Please do everything in your power and deal with the situation while staying one step ahead to prevent the further spread of damage. The situation is changing each and every moment. Please exercise strong leadership and take actions in order to immediately identify the state of the damage and respond to the various situations occurring over vast areas, including the evacuation of the residents, the provision of daily supports, and the restoration of lifeline infrastructure, in close coordination with municipal governments in the disaster-affected areas.”