By HISAKI TAMANAHA/ Staff Writer
January 3, 2026 at 11:44 JST
As New Year's travelers started returning home, heavy snow blanketed wide areas of Japan, primarily along the Sea of Japan coast, through Jan. 3 due to a strong winter pressure system that brought a cold air mass over the archipelago.
The Japan Meteorological Agency announced that snowfall is expected to continue in some regions.
In the 24 hours leading up to 6 a.m. on Jan. 4, up to 40 centimeters of snow is forecast for the Kanto-Koshin and Hokuriku regions, with 30 cm expected in the Kinki region.
Officials urged caution, warning of potential avalanches.
In the 24-hour period ending at 9 a.m. on Jan. 3, the city of Itoigawa in Niigata Prefecture recorded 59 cm of snow, while Shobara in Hiroshima Prefecture saw 43 cm.
Central Tokyo also experienced its first snowfall of the season on Jan. 2 night, one day earlier than in an average year.
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