Heavy snow pummeled the Sea of Japan coastline and areas in the country's north and west on Monday, stranding many vehicles and dumping record snowfall in some western Japanese cities due to a strong winter pressure pattern.
Hikone city in Shiga Prefecture saw 68 centimeters (26.7 inches) of snow, while in Hyogo Prefecture's Asago city, 71 cm fell within 24 hours through early Monday — both the most ever recorded, according to the Meteorological Agency.
In the same period, Minakami in Gunma Prefecture had 70 cm, Aizuwakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture had 55 cm, and the city of Aomori had 190 cm of snow. Cities like Nagoya, Kyoto and Hiroshima also observed snowfall.