Large areas of Japan have been covered in heavy snow, with the lowest winter temperatures disrupting air and rail travel, and more intense snowfall expected through the weekend. Residents struggled to clear snow from cars that were buried in a matter of hours, with the meteorological agency describing the cold front as the “strongest in several years.”
The northernmost island of Hokkaido and the Japan Sea coast were the hardest-hit areas, causing several flight cancellations between regional cities and Tokyo. Train services in parts of central Japan were also suspended, according to Kyodo news agency. Roads were blocked by the snow, and authorities advised motorists to use snow tyres.
Oh wow! This is in Tokachi, Japan after record-breaking snowfall of 1.2 meters (120 cm / 47 inches) that fell in just 12 hours ❄️?pic.twitter.com/iWuA3td7yd
— Volcaholic ? (@volcaholic1) February 4, 2025
In Gifu prefecture, the town of Shirakawa experienced a record 129 cm of snowfall within 48 hours. In Joetsu, Niigata, and Honbestu in Hokkaido, the snow reached nearly a metre in depth. The weather agency has warned that unstable atmospheric conditions will continue to cause significant snowfall in the coming days, including in regions along the Pacific coast, where snow is typically rare. Officials have urged people in affected areas to avoid unnecessary travel.
Despite the unusually warm weather in January that initially worried organisers of Sapporo’s snow festival, about 200 ice and snow sculptures are now on display. When local residents began sculpting the ice last month, there was not enough snow to cover the roads, prompting organisers to transport enough snow from surrounding towns to fill 2,500 10-tonne trucks. Notable sculptures include a figure of Japanese baseball star Shohei Ohtani with his dog Dekopin, and a 12-meter-high replica of the former Hokkaido prefectural government building. Approximately 80% of the sculptures were created by local residents.
