Japan’s snow emergency turns deadly as record drifts bury towns

A wave of record-breaking snowfall across northern and western Japan has killed at least 30 people in the past two weeks, pushing local authorities into emergency mode and exposing how dangerous winter life can become in some of the country’s most snowbound regions.

The scale of the snowfall has been stark. In one of the most severe cases, a 91-year-old woman was found dead outside her home, buried under around 300cm (118 inches) of snow, officials said. The deaths span multiple prefectures and include people who fell from roofs while clearing snow, were hit by falling drifts, or were swept away in waterways used to dispose of accumulated snow.

As conditions worsened, the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi ordered the deployment of troops on Tuesday to assist affected areas, according to NHK. Authorities also warned residents to remain alert for avalanches, collapsing roofs and falling snow, while cautioning that power outages could follow in the hardest-hit zones.

The northern city of Aomori has been among the worst affected. As of Tuesday, snow on the ground there had reached 175cm (about 69 inches), more than double the seasonal average, NHK reported. In some neighbourhoods, accumulation peaked at 183cm (72 inches) on Monday, breaking a 40-year local record.

Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said he had requested military disaster relief, with particular concern for elderly residents who live alone and struggle to clear snow.

“The danger of life-threatening incidents, such as fatal accidents due to falling snow from the roofs or collapsing buildings, is imminent,” he said at a news conference.

Other cities across the Sea of Japan coast have also seen snow depths of 135cm (53 inches) or more. From January 20 through Tuesday, 30 people died in snow-related incidents, according to Fire and Disaster Management Agency. At least 290 others were injured, some seriously.

NHK reported that Niigata prefecture alone accounted for at least 12 deaths, including two men who were swept away on Sunday while removing snow near a disposal channel. Additional fatalities were reported in Akita, Hokkaido, Aomori and several other prefectures, often involving falls from rooftops or sudden illness during snow-clearing work.

Meteorologists say the snowfall has been driven by a lingering Arctic cold air mass over the Japanese archipelago, bringing more than double the usual snow volumes to some regions. With parliamentary elections scheduled for Sunday, it remains unclear how the extreme weather will affect turnout.

On Tuesday, the prime minister convened a special cabinet-level meeting, instructing ministers to do everything possible to prevent further deaths and accidents as the country continues to dig out from one of its heaviest snowfalls in decades.