IN IMAGES, IN PICTURES – Amazed tourists and very disrupted transport. These are the two consequences of the heavy snowfalls that fell on Japan.
Japan is covered with a thick layer of snow… To the delight of passers-by and tourists. They rejoiced on Wednesday by taking pictures of shrines and temples dressed in their most beautiful coat of white. Thus, at the Zenkoji temple in Nagano, in the heart of the Japanese Alps, visitors have tasted the enchanting spectacle of snow-covered places. Similar scenes took place in the west of the country such as Kyoto, the former imperial capital with a rich historical heritage.
” I had come to ski, but the snow was so thick that I changed my plan and decided to do some sightseeing instead. in town, said Akiko Sotobori, a tourist interviewed by AFP in Nagano. In the ski resort, the blizzard was such that I couldn’t see anything three meters away “, she assured. The capital Tokyo and its large suburbs were, for their part, spared by the snow, while undergoing a colder than usual.
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Major transport disruptions
Snowfall across the country has caused major transport disruptions in the Land of the Rising Sun. Hundreds of flights were canceled due to snowstorms and several trains were delayed or canceled – including on high-speed lines. Traffic jams on the roads were also numerous.
And for good reason : ” These temperatures are among the coldest seen in a decade Takafumi Umeda, an official with the Japanese meteorological agency JMA, told AFP. The agency warned of the risk of blizzards, high waves on the coasts and ice on the roads. According to government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno, one person died in the country due to this large-scale cold snap. Authorities are investigating two other deaths potentially related to the weather.