THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
January 10, 2025 at 15:22 JST
Heavy snowfall blanketed areas from northern to western Japan mainly on the Sea of Japan side on Jan. 10, disrupting train and road transportation as well as school operations.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said the strong flow of cold air is beginning to pass its peak, but snowfall is expected to continue through the morning of Jan. 11, mainly in mountainous areas along the Sea of Japan.
As of 1 p.m. on Jan. 10, 52 centimeters of snow had fallen over a 24-hour period in Motosu, Gifu Prefecture, and 51 cm in Kaneyama, Fukushima Prefecture.
In Aomori and Gifu prefectures, heavy snow from Jan. 8 to 9 resulted in the deaths of three people, including one in a traffic accident.
The JMA said atmospheric conditions will become unstable through the morning of Jan. 11, mainly along the Sea of Japan, with localized development of thunderstorm clouds.
The JMA forecasts snowfall over the 24 hours through 6 a.m. on Jan. 11, with accumulations of up to 60 cm in the Tohoku, Hokuriku, Kinki and Chugoku regions.
Up to 50 cm is expected in the Kanto-Koshin and Tokai regions, 40 cm in Hokkaido, 15 cm in the Shikoku region, and up to 10 cm in the northern Kyushu region.
TRAFFIC DISRUPTIONS
East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said operations on the Yamagata Shinkansen Line between Fukushima and Shinjo were suspended until shortly after 11 a.m. on Jan. 10 because of the heavy snow.
Central Japan Railway Co. (JR Tokai) said the Tokaido Shinkansen Line was operating at reduced speeds between Nagoya and Kyoto.
In Kyushu, Nishitetsu Bus has halted all operations in Fukuoka city and surrounding areas since the first scheduled departures.
Most bus routes in the Kita-Kyushu area have also been suspended. Operations will resume depending on road conditions.
Education has also been affected.
According to the Fukuoka City Board of Education, some municipal schools have closed or delayed their start times.
The Kita-Kyushu City Board of Education has decided to close all municipal schools for the day.
In Nara Prefecture, a truck stranded on an icy road near the Ashihara Tunnel on National Route 169 caused a 3-kilometer traffic jam on the morning of Jan. 10.
Police cleared the way by spreading de-icing agents. No injuries were reported.
(This article was written by Natsumi Adachi and Ryota Goto.)
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Commuters make their way through the snow in Nagoya on the morning of Jan. 10. (Tadashi Mizowaki)
