Tokyo - More than 50,000 people had to leave their homes in central and western Japan Monday due to heavy rain and flooding, media reports said.

A 53-year-old man in the central city of Kanazawa was rescued two hours after his car was buried in mud. He suffered broken bones, the Jiji Press news agency said.

Heavy rain in Kanazawa forced more than 20,000 households to evacuate to nearby schools and public halls.

Landslides blocked roads in central Niigata province, while cars were submerged in water in the western city Kyotango.

Heavy rain also forced at least 5,700 people to evacuate from their homes in the western region of Japan. (dpa)