Saturday's blizzard, the worst to hit the Tokyo area in almost half a century, is being blamed for 11 deaths nationwide and more than 1,200 people being injured as accumulations continued to disrupt transportation on Sunday.

The heavy snow that blanketed eastern Japan halted most of the capital's rail lines Saturday.

Trains and highway buses to and from Narita airport in Chiba Prefecture were halted from Saturday afternoon to Sunday afternoon, forcing about 8,200 passengers to shelter overnight in the lobbies until Sunday morning. The airport distributed sleeping bags and snacks to them.