According to Yomiuri Shimbun and other Japanese media on Saturday, 30 people have died from heavy snow that pounded northwestern Japan over 12 days since December 21. Six of them died while clearing snow. Notably, half of the 12 deaths in Niigata Prefecture were caused by acute cardiac arrest and other conditions during snow removal work.
In Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, a person in their 70s fell to their death while removing snow from a roof. In Joetsu City, a man in his 60s was found dead in a house that collapsed under the weight of snow. Deaths by region include: Niigata 12, Akita Prefecture 6, Aomori Prefecture 4, Hokkaido 3, Yamagata 2, and Iwate Prefecture, Nagano Prefecture, and Shimane Prefecture with 1 each. The number of injured stands at 324.
Some areas recorded cumulative snowfall exceeding 3 meters. Sumon in Uonuma City, Niigata, recorded the highest at 333 centimeters. Okuramura in Yamagata recorded 290 centimeters, while central Aomori City reached 243 centimeters. In Aomori City, vehicle movement became impossible and streets temporarily turned into parking lots. Self-Defense Forces personnel were urgently deployed to assist with snow removal. Soichiro Miyashita, Governor of Aomori Prefecture, said at a press conference, "The prefecture will directly take over snow removal work on severely congested roads."
Logistics networks have also been hit hard. Yamato Transport, Japan's largest delivery company, announced that cargo deliveries to and from Hokkaido and the Tohoku region would be significantly delayed. The company has completely suspended accepting packages in some areas of Aomori Prefecture. Major logistics companies including Japan Post and Sagawa Express are also experiencing delivery delays in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions, adding to residents' inconvenience.
Yomiuri Shimbun noted, "Six of the 12 deaths in Niigata Prefecture, half of the total, were caused by conditions such as acute cardiac arrest during snow removal work," adding that people should "avoid snow removal immediately after waking up, warm up sufficiently before working, and take regular breaks during the work."
