Record Cold Wave Hits Japan...Mass Flight Cancellations and Severe Traffic Jams

46 Japanese Prefectures Experience Below-Freezing Temperatures
15 Trains Suspended in Kansai Region
1 Dead, 2 in Cardiac Arrest Due to Heavy Snow

On December 24 last year, a citizen was clearing accumulated snow in Hokkaido, Japan.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 25th, a record-breaking cold wave hit the Japanese archipelago, accompanied by heavy snowfall, causing flight cancellations and train stoppages, resulting in numerous damages.

According to NHK and Nihon Keizai, on this day, Sapporo in Hokkaido recorded a minimum temperature of -12.8 degrees Celsius, and temperatures dropped below freezing in 46 prefectures excluding Okinawa Prefecture, including Tokyo and Osaka.

As of 8 a.m. that day, 12 cm of snow had accumulated in Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; 10 cm in Tsu City, Mie Prefecture; 5 cm in Hiroshima City, Hiroshima Prefecture; and 4 cm in Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture.

In the Kansai region, train operations were suspended due to the cold wave and overnight heavy snowfall. On the section between Takatsuki City in Osaka Prefecture and Yamashina Ward in Kyoto City, 15 trains stopped due to railway equipment failure. Passengers who waited for a long time inside the trains reported feeling unwell, and 13 of them were transported to hospitals. Kyoto City stated that 1,700 passengers at Yamashina Station and 1,200 passengers in the Nishio area had difficulty returning home due to the train stoppage.

Heavy snowfall also caused severe traffic congestion on highways and national roads. According to Nihon Keizai, on the national road in Ono City, Fukui Prefecture, a large truck that slipped on the road overnight blocked the road, causing 80 vehicles to stop simultaneously. On the national road in Chizu Town, Tottori Prefecture, when 80 trucks stopped due to traffic congestion, local government officials prepared and distributed 100 servings of rice balls and drinks to the drivers.

Outside the Kansai region, traffic congestion and train operation suspensions continued. The Shinkansen running between Fukushima Station in Fukushima Prefecture and Shinjo Station in Yamagata Prefecture suspended operations for the entire day due to heavy snowfall. On the same day, a total of 497 flights taking off and landing in Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Hokuriku were canceled.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference that one person died in Oita Prefecture due to the heavy snowfall, and the two deaths in Nagata Prefecture are being investigated for their connection to this disaster. In Okayama Prefecture, two people were found in cardiopulmonary arrest, and two others sustained minor injuries.

The Japan Meteorological Agency forecasted that up to 80 cm of additional snow would fall in the Tohoku region and up to 60 cm in Hokkaido, Hokuriku, and Niigata Prefecture by 6 a.m. on the 26th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.