Tokyo: Heavy snow continued in much of Japan Wednesday, killing at least one person and disrupting transportation systems.
As of 9:30 a.m. (00:30 GMT), one person has died and two other snow-related deaths are being investigated, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a news conference.
More than 300 flights were cancelled for Wednesday so far, mainly to and from airports in areas along the Sea of Japan coast, according to the airlines. Snowfall also caused suspensions or delay of trains and paralyzed highways in many areas across the country, the operators said.
Western Japanese city of Maniwa observed 93 cm of snow in the 24 hours through 8 a.m. Wednesday, its heaviest record, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
Heavy snow is expected to continue in northern and eastern regions along the Sea of Japan coast, the weather agency said, urging people to take precautions.