Weeks of Heavy Snowfall in Japan Kills at Least 30

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Isabella Kwai and Kiuko NotoyaFebruary 3, 2026 at 06:56 PM

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Heavy snowfall in Japan over the past two weeks has resulted in at least 30 deaths and approximately 200 injuries. Beginning around January 20th, the severe weather disrupted transportation, stranded travelers, and caused building collapses. The most affected areas include the western coast and northern prefectures, with Niigata Prefecture reporting 12 deaths. In Aomori, the snowiest city, snowfall reached 72 inches, the highest level since 1986. The government has deployed soldiers to assist with snow removal, particularly from the roofs of elderly residents' homes. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has urged citizens to monitor weather forecasts as more snow is expected.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Japan's House of Representatives 40% Tottori 40% New Chitose Airport 50% Hokkaido 50% NHK ×250% Niigata Prefecture 60% Sanae Takaichi 60% Aomori Prefecture 60% Soichiro Miyashita 60% Aomori 70% Japan ×5100%

Keywords

heavy snowfall 100% japan 90% winter weather 70% death toll 70% injuries 60% weather forecast 50% disaster response 50% public transportation 40% house collapse 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Japan

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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heavy snowfall japan winter weather death toll injuries weather forecast disaster response public transportation house collapse

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