A senior Japanese politician is under fire after getting a piggyback over a large puddle while inspecting the deadly aftermath of a typhoon - and joking he could get in trouble for doing it.

Shunsuke Mutai, parliamentary vice minister for reconstruction, was visiting the hard-hit northern town of Iwaizumi where 19 people died in devastating Typhoon Lionrock.

Mutai, 60, was shown riding on the back of a younger man over a large puddle of streaming water on Sept 1 while leading a central government damage assessment team.