Snow and strong winds disrupted transportation networks in many parts of the country Monday, with the Meteorological Agency warning of more snow to come.
More than 30 domestic and international flights were canceled at Chubu International Airport in Aichi Prefecture due to strong westerly winds, and other flights were rerouted, according to the airport and airlines.
Bullet trains on the Sanyo Shinkansen Line ran at reduced speeds due to heavy snowfall in Hiroshima and Yamaguchi prefectures, causing delays of up to an hour and affecting some 13,000 passengers, West Japan Railway Co. said.
The weather also affected conventional trains, expressways and shipping in many areas.
The mercury dropped to mid-January to mid-February averages in areas of western Japan, bringing the season's first snow in Wakayama, Kochi and Tokushima prefectures, as well as in Kofu, Yamanashi Prefecture.
The Meteorological Agency was predicting strong winds in areas along the Sea of Japan coast and snowfall of up to 40 cm in mountainous areas of the Hokuriku and Sanin regions through Tuesday morning.
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