TOKYO — Northern Japan has been battered by unusually heavy snowfall over the past two weeks, blocking roads, disrupting transportation, and resulting in dozens of fatalities nationwide.
As of Wednesday, 15 prefectures have been affected, with snow accumulation reaching up to two meters (6.5 feet) in the hardest-hit areas. Meteorologists attribute the extreme weather to a persistent Arctic cold air mass over the Japanese archipelago.
In Aomori prefecture, more than 1,700 homes lost electricity, and most train lines—including the bullet trains—were suspended. Governor Soichiro Miyashita said authorities were coordinating with emergency services to ensure ambulances and fire trucks could reach residents in need. Medical staff have reportedly resorted to transporting patients on foot with stretchers when roads became impassable.
“We anticipate some roads might get blocked off, and we are consulting with services that can help ambulances and fire trucks reach their destinations,” Miyashita told reporters Wednesday. He also urged the city of Aomori to prioritize clearing main roads, as schools remained closed, affecting thousands of children.
Across Japan, 35 deaths have been reported, with most incidents involving falls during snow removal. Niigata prefecture, a key rice-growing region, recorded 12 fatalities, including a man found collapsed on his roof in Uonuma city on January 21 and a 70-year-old who fell from a roof in Nagaoka city.
Japan’s chief government spokesperson, Minoru Kihara, cautioned that even as temperatures rise, the melting snow could trigger landslides and create slippery conditions, posing further risks to residents.
Nationwide, injuries totaled 393, including 126 classified as serious. Niigata accounted for 42 of these serious injuries. Structural damage was also reported, with 14 homes affected—three in Niigata and eight in Aomori.
Authorities are preparing for additional snowfall forecast for the coming weekend, warning residents to take precautions as northern Japan continues to grapple with severe winter weather.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
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