Heavy Snow and High Winds Lash Iwate Prefecture in Northeastern Japan

Gale and snow warnings were in place across much of Japan on January 7 as snowstorms hit coastal regions along the Sea of Japan.

Local news said snow-removal work was underway in the northeastern prefecture of Akita on January 6, where snowfall exceeded 1.5 meters.

This footage shows blizzard conditions in Iwate Prefecture on Thursday.

Four people were reported to have died in snow-removal accidents in Akita in recent days. Around 30 people have died, reports said, in snow-removal operations across the country since mid-December. Credit: @speys4 via Storyful