Winter is likely bringing cold wave to western parts of Japan as heavy snowbanks blankets the country and affected daily life.
Heavy snow in western Japan has stranded hundreds of vehicles on highways on Wednesday night while causing power outages. About 20 thousand households were left without electricity in Kashiwazaki and other cities of Niigata prefecture west of Fukushima.
A 27 year old woman in the area was found dead in a car on tuesday. She reportedly died of carbon monoxide intoxication after staying in the car overnight to keep herself warm.
A disaster relief dispatch of the self-defence forces were deployed in some cities of Niigata after the local government requested to resolve the traffic congestion.
