Overview
- Officials report 35 deaths over the past two weeks and nearly 400 injuries, with 126 people seriously hurt and 14 houses damaged.
- Snow totals reached about two meters in the worst-hit areas, including roughly 1.83 meters in Aomori during what local media call the heaviest winter there in about 40 years.
- Niigata has recorded 12 fatalities, Akita seven, and Yamagata five, with impacts spread across roughly 15 prefectures.
- JSDF units were mobilized at a governor’s request to remove snow from roofs and assist elderly residents as local resources were overwhelmed.
- Authorities warn that a brief warm-up to around 8°C increases risks of avalanches, collapsing roofs and slippery conditions, and forecasters expect more heavy snow this weekend.