By AKARI SUGIYAMA/ Staff Writer
January 2, 2026 at 12:44 JST
Snow covers a street in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, on Jan. 2. (Tatsuo Kanai)
The Japan Meteorological Agency is forecasting heavy snow across parts of Japan through early Jan. 3 and warned of potential traffic disruptions, particularly in the northern Kyushu region.
The agency said a strong winter pressure system is expected to bring heavy snow mainly along the Sea of Japan coast in eastern and western Japan.
However, significant accumulations are possible even in areas that typically receive little snow, the agency added.
SNOWFALL FORECAST
Expected snowfalls in the 24 hours to 6 a.m. on Jan. 3:
Hokuriku region: 70 centimeters
Kinki region: 60 centimeters
Chugoku and northern Kyushu regions: 50 centimeters
Kanto-Koshin region: 40 centimeters
Shikoku region: 20 centimeters
Expected snowfalls for the following 24-hour period to 6 a.m. on Jan. 4:
Kanto-Koshin and Hokuriku regions: 40 centimeters
Kinki region: 30 centimeters
Chugoku region: 20 centimeters
Shikoku region: 7 centimeters
Northern Kyushu region: 5 centimeters
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