TOKYO: A cold air mass gripped much of Japan on Saturday, with temperatures plunging to their lowest so far this winter in many regions and heavy snowfalls along the coast of the Sea of Japan.
One man was killed in Nagano Prefecture, apparently by a tree that snapped under the weight of snow, while at least 20 people were injured in other weather-related accidents, according a Kyodo News tally.
The Japan Meteorological Agency issued warnings of snowstorms and heavy accumulation in Sea of Japan coastal areas through Monday. It also expects snow to fall on plains along the Pacific Ocean in eastern and western Japan through Sunday as an even stronger cold air mass covers the archipelago.
The first snow of winter fell in Wakayama and Kagawa prefectures in western Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture in central Japan, and even Saga and Oita prefectures in southwestern Japan, according to the weather agency.
Snowfall was also recorded in Nagoya in central Japan and Hiroshima in western Japan as well as in central Tokyo.
Airlines including All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines cancelled more than 90 flights either to or from areas on the Sea of Japan coast, while some train services on the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen lines were delayed.
Over a 24-hour period through late Saturday afternoon, up to 80 centimetres of snow had fallen in Nagano, 77cm in Niigata and 43cm in Gunma.
Temperatures plunged below zero in many areas including the village of Shimukappu in Hokkaido, which recorded minus 29.7C, and Kazuno, Akita Prefecture, which logged minus 14.9C.
Up to 90cm of snow is forecast to fall in the Hokuriku region through 6pm Sunday, 70cm in Tohoku, Tokai and Chugoku areas, 60cm in Kanto-Koshin and Kinki regions, 40cm in Hokkaido, and 20cm in Shikoku, the weather agency said.
The agency urged people in affected areas to refrain from making non-essential trips and stay home, and to exercise care when removing snow.