Heavy Snowfall Claims 30 Lives in Japan

TOKYO: Unusually heavy snowfall across Japan has claimed at least 30 lives over the past two weeks, prompting the government to deploy military personnel to assist affected communities, officials said on Tuesday. The worst-hit area is Aomori prefecture in northern Japan, where snow accumulation has reached up to 4.5 meters (15 feet) in some remote regions. Among the victims was a 91-year-old woman who was found dead beneath a three-meter pile of snow outside her home in Ajigasawa, local police said. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi convened an emergency cabinet-level meeting on Tuesday morning, instructing ministers to take all possible measures to prevent further deaths and accidents as severe winter conditions persist. According to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency, the fatalities occurred between January 20 and Tuesday, largely due to snow-related accidents. Authorities have linked the extreme weather to a powerful cold air mass that has brought intense snowfall along the Sea of Japan coast, with some areas recording more than double their usual snowfall. Police said the elderly woman, identified as Kina Jin, is believed to have been buried after snow slid off her rooftop. The cause of death was ruled as suffocation, and an aluminum shovel was found near her body, suggesting she may have been clearing snow at the time. “As temperatures rise, accumulated snow can melt and fall suddenly,” a police official said. “The risk depends on the volume of snow and the temperature. Areas beneath rooftops are particularly dangerous.” Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said on Monday that he had formally requested disaster relief assistance from Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. Troops have been tasked with helping elderly residents living alone, many of whom are struggling to clear heavy snow from their homes. In Aomori city, walls of snow measuring up to 1.8 meters line streets and buildings, overwhelming local snow removal crews. Governor Miyashita warned that the risk of further life-threatening incidents—including falling snow and structural collapses—remains high as conditions continue to evolve.