Tokyo - Record heavy rain that brought floods and landslides in central and eastern Japan overnight killed at least one person, injured another and forced thousands to evacuate their homes, media reports said Friday.

Suzue Kuroyanagi, 76, was found dead in her home in central Okazaki city, which was flooded in the heavy rain that engulfed houses overnight in central and eastern Japan.

An 80-year-old woman was missing in central Aichi province Friday. Her home was flooded by a nearby river and the foundation caved in.

A newspaper delivery man in his 60s remains in a critical condition at a hospital in Aichi after he fell into an irrigation ditch along with his bicycle.

The city government of Okazaki advised more than 360,000 residents to evacuate as more rainfall was expected through Saturday.

In Hachioji City, Tokyo, a train derailed early Friday after a landslide poured mud onto the rail. No one was injured.

Other train services in Tokyo and surrounding regions were temporarily suspended, houses were flooded and cars were submerged due to the heavy rain.

The rainfall overnight registered the second heaviest since September 2000, when 10 people died in eastern Japan, the meteorological agency said.

In Okazaki, the rainfall registered 146 millimeters per hour up until 2 am Friday.

As more torrential rain was expected through Saturday the government set up a special task force in the prime minister's office and the transport ministry has enforced emergency measures at 11 rivers in the region. (dpa)