The heavy snowfall prompted the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to order the deployment of troops on Tuesday to help in affected areas, according to the Japanese national television NHK.
Authorities told people to watch for avalanches and accumulated snow falling from rooftops, NHK reported, and also warned that power outages are possible in the hardest-hit areas, Al Jazeera reported.
As of Tuesday, the northern city of Aomori had 175cm (about 69 inches) of snow accumulated on the ground, more than double the average for this time of the year, according to NHK. On Monday, the city recorded as much as 183cm (72 inches) of snow accumulating in some areas, breaking the 40-year record of 181cm (71 inches) observed in 1986.
Aomori Governor Soichiro Miyashita said on Monday he had asked the military to offer disaster relief, especially to the elderly, many of whom live alone and need help clearing snow.
MA/PR
