NHK has learned that a survey by a Japanese research institute shows national treasures or important cultural assets at 656 locations across the country are at high risk from flooding or landslides in the event of heavy rain.
The chief researcher at the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, Takata Yuichi, surveyed properties at 2,585 locations listed in the Cultural Affairs Agency's database, using the Geographic Information System and the land ministry's hazard maps.