"Do Not Go There, Deaths During Snow Removal"... Japanese City Buried Under '183cm' of Snow, as Tall as an Adult Male

Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Dispatched to Aomori for Disaster Relief
Accidents Occur, Including Death of Citizen During Snow Removal

Heavy snowfall has hit Aomori Prefecture, located at the northernmost tip of Honshu, Japan, recording a maximum snow accumulation of 183 centimeters. This is the fourth highest level ever recorded, and incidents have occurred, including the death of a local man during snow removal work.

According to local broadcasters such as NHK and TBS, Soichiro Miyashita, Governor of Aomori Prefecture, requested disaster dispatch assistance from the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force on the 1st (local time). The Self-Defense Force is scheduled to begin snow removal operations in the area starting in the morning of the 2nd.

Heavy snowfall in Hokkaido, Japan. Photo by AFP Yonhap News

On this day, Aomori City saw 183 centimeters of snow accumulate in just one day. Accidents also followed, including the death of a citizen during snow removal work. On January 31, a man in his 50s was found dead after being buried in snow while clearing snow from a roof. On the previous day, January 30, a man in his 80s also died during snow removal work.

Currently, the Self-Defense Force is focusing on assisting elderly people living alone in Aomori Prefecture who have difficulty clearing snow by themselves, by removing snow from rooftops and collecting information on affected households. As of February 2, up to an additional 40 centimeters of snowfall is forecast by 6 p.m.

Governor Miyashita announced that, in preparation for further heavy snowfall, all municipal elementary and middle schools, as well as prefectural high schools in Aomori City, would be closed on this day. He also added that the Disaster Relief Act would be applied to vulnerable groups unable to clear snow on their own, and that local governments would carry out rooftop snow removal operations for these households.

Meanwhile, northern regions of Japan are suffering from record-breaking snowfall. In Hokkaido, on January 25, railways and roads were paralyzed due to snow, and even airport rail services were suspended. As a result, more than 7,000 passengers were stranded overnight and had to spend the night inside the airport.

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