Snow began falling across eastern and western Japan, including Tokyo, early on Monday (January 18) morning.
Many commuters arrived at work late as trains were delayed and taxis in high demand. Train stations were also overcrowded.
“Everyone got into work an hour late today so we had to start work late. This was slightly troublesome,” said Takeshi Nakamura, a company worker.
Japanese media reported that the highest accumulation of snow in central Tokyo was at six centimeters (2.3 inches).
“I was surprised that there was more snow in Tokyo than in Chiba where I came from,” another company worker, Yuko Shinohara, said. Chiba is a prefecture east of Tokyo.
Local media also reported that a total of 117 people in the Kanto region were sent to hospital due to injuries from slipping or falling.
“There was less snow than I expected so I thought everything would be okay, but the roads were really slippery and awful,” Mariko Kato said, as she cautiously walked along a frozen sidewalk.
About 40,000 buildings and residences in Tokyo, Saitama and Ibaraki area experienced black outs, according to Tokyo Electric Power Company.
The Japanese Meteorological Agency have sent out warnings of possible blizzards and heavy snowfall along northern and western Japan as night approaches. (Reuters)
