Record snow this season is starting to take its toll on small rural communities as they struggle to cope with the high costs of snow removal and to help elderly residents who are increasingly isolated.
The Minakami Municipal Government in Gunma Prefecture, where the snow is more than 2 meters deep, is busy these days fielding complaints from residents about the slow snow removal.
At 4 p.m. every day, the town sends out its 11 snowplows to clear snow before the home commute begins.
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