A SHOE BELIEVED to belong to missing Japanese woman Ushio Azaki  has been found on a beach in Co Clare.

It was discovered during a routine clean up and has since been handed over to gardaí.

Peter O’Connell of the Clare Champion told Drivetime: “The shoe fits the description of clothing that [she] was wearing … it more than likely is her shoe.”

Yesterday her husband’s body was found.

O’Connell added that efforts to contact the couple’s family are continuing.

Various units of the Coast Guard and Defences Forces are involved in the search for the 61- year-old woman.

The couple checked out of their hotel in Spanish Point on Saturday, 22 August and their hired car was later found parked in George’s Head car park in Kilkee.

Martony Vaughan, the officer in charge of the Kilkee unit of the Coast Guard, told TheJournal.ie a number of dives have been carried out by Kilkee and Burren sub aqua clubs and the naval service, which is also using underwater cameras in the search.

“Conditions aren’t bad, but the wind has picked up,” Vaughan added.

He said he expects the search to be wound down by about 10pm before starting again around 8am tomorrow.

Read: Body found in search for missing tourist couple in Clare