More than 240 people are still unaccounted for after a powerful earthquake hit the west coast of Japan on New Year's Day.
Local media reports said the government has increased the number of soldiers sent to the affected area to 4,600 to assist the emergency services.
The search for survivors was becoming more urgent four days after the quake, as many people were feared to be trapped under collapsed buildings.
The rescue teams faced many challenges, such as piles of debris, broken roads, landslides, and frequent aftershocks.
The worst-hit area was Ishikawa prefecture, where at least 700 people were isolated from the rest of the world.
The report said that about 30,000 households had no electricity and 80,000 households had no water.
The local authorities said that about 33,000 people were staying in hundreds of makeshift shelters.
The region on the Sea of Japan has experienced more than 150 aftershocks since the earthquake on New Year's Day, which had a magnitude of 7.6.
(dpa/NAN)