Snowfall causes transportation chaos across much of Japan

The coldest winter snap of the season brought heavy snow that disrupted trains, domestic flights and other transportation systems across Japan.

In the Kinki area, heavy snowfall suspended or delayed around 600 trains, including limited-express runs, on Jan. 24, affecting about 140,000 people, West Japan Railway Co. (JR West) said on Jan. 25.

Trains were stuck between stations on the Kyoto, Biwako and Sanyo lines from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 24, JR West said. Passengers disembarked and walked along the railway tracks to nearby stations.

Railroad switches at several stations on the Kyoto and Biwako lines didn’t work properly, the company said.

Problems continued on Jan. 25. As of 4:25 a.m., JR West said it would suspend operations of 83 limited-express trains on several lines.

East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) said operations of the Yamagata Shinkansen Line between Fukushima and Shinjo stations would be shut down throughout the day on Jan. 25.

JR East will also partially suspend bullet train services between Tokyo and Fukushima stations.

Snow has also been affecting air travel.

All Nippon Airways Co. (ANA) canceled 85 flights on Jan. 25. They included all flights to and from Wakkanai, Hakodate and Odate-Noshiro airports in Hokkaido and Akita Prefecture, and some flights to and from airports on the Sea of Japan side of the nation, including in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions.

Ninety-four ANA flights were canceled on Jan. 24, affecting around 4,100 passengers.

Chubu Centrair International Airport in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, closed its runway at 9 a.m. on Jan. 25 for snow-removal work.

The airport was aiming to reopen the runway after 10 a.m., but it said “visibility is still poor due to the snow falling diagonally as of 9:40 a.m.”

Twenty-three domestic flights were called off due to the runway closure or the effects of snowfalls around the nation.

Heavy snow is also causing highway problems.

At 11 a.m. on Jan. 25, a 47-kilometer traffic jam had formed on the Meishin Expressway bound for Nagoya starting from the Setahigashi Interchange in Shiga Prefecture, West Nippon Expressway Co. said.