From mild to wild: record snowfall buries northern Japan
The Hokkaido prefectural government said record-breaking snowfall has been observed especially in the eastern regions of the island, including Obihiro and Kushiro, whose city offices received dozens of calls for help from drivers whose vehicles had stalled in the snow.
The heavy snow and traffic disruptions came just as the Sapporo Snow Festival began in southern Hokkaido, although the city did not face major disruptions.
Television footage showed residents shovelling snow and passengers pushing vehicles that got stuck. So far, no injuries or major damage have been reported. A man tries to dig his car out of the snow using a shovel in Obihiro city on Tuesday. Photo: Jiji Press/AFP
In Obihiro, record-breaking snowfall of 129cm (4 feet) was detected earlier on Tuesday.
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