SAPPORO (Kyodo) About 460 people were forced to spent the night at New Chitose Airport in Hokkaido after blizzards forced their flights to be canceled, airport officials said Sunday.
The airport scrubbed 40 departing and 32 arriving flights Saturday, crippling the airport at the start of the yearend holiday rush, the officials said.
New Chitose's meteorological station said the poor weather was caused by a low-pressure system that passed by the southern coast of the island, dumping heavy snow that overwhelmed its snow-dozing capacity.
Stranded travelers meanwhile camped out on seats and sofas in the airport's lobbies, officials said.
The weather improved on Sunday.