TOKYO: Unusually heavy snowfall across Japan has been blamed for at least 30 deaths over the past two weeks, authorities said on Tuesday, as the government deployed troops to assist communities overwhelmed by record accumulations.
The heaviest impact has been felt in Aomori prefecture, where up to 4.5 metres of snow remains on the ground in some remote areas. The central government has dispatched Self-Defence Forces to help residents, particularly elderly people living alone, clear snow from homes and roads.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi convened a special cabinet-level meeting on Tuesday, urging ministers to take all possible measures to prevent further deaths and accidents.
A powerful cold air mass has brought persistent snowfall along Japan’s Sea of Japan coast in recent weeks, with some areas recording more than double their usual seasonal totals. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the fatalities were recorded between January 20 and Tuesday.
Among the victims was Kina Jin, a 91-year-old woman whose body was found buried under a three-metre pile of snow outside her home in Ajigasawa, Aomori, a local police official told AFP. Investigators believe snow fell from her rooftop, causing suffocation. An aluminium shovel was found beside her body.
“As temperatures rise, accumulated snow can suddenly melt and fall,” the official said, warning that areas beneath rooftops are particularly dangerous during thawing conditions.
Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said he had requested military disaster assistance, citing the strain on local workers and the growing danger posed by heavy snow loads.
Walls of snow reaching up to 1.8 metres have built up across Aomori city, overwhelming municipal clearing efforts. “The danger of life-threatening incidents, such as fatal accidents caused by falling snow or collapsing structures, is imminent,” Miyashita said.
