Aftershocks rattled survivors of deadly Japanese earthquakes, nearly a week after the first one struck, as the area braced for heavy rain and the possibility of more landslides. Death toll reaches 47, with eight people still missing.

Hundreds of people in the Kumamoto area spent another night in their cars. Medical experts warned of the danger of potentially fatal blood clots from sitting too long in cramped conditions - so-called economy class syndrome - after a 51-year-old woman died and at least 12 people were hospitalised because of it.

Eleven people appear to have died of illnesses related to their prolonged stay in evacuation centres, NHK national television said. The first quake hit late on April 14 and the largest, at magnitude 7.3, some 27 hours later.