At least five people died Saturday in snow-related incidents in Niigata, Nagano and Akita prefectures, and five avalanches were reported as the weather turned warmer throughout the country.
In Joetsu, Niigata Prefecture, a house collapsed under the weight of snow and killed Isamu Maruhashi, 72, police said. About 90 cm of snow had piled up on the roof. Another man in the house, Hiroshi Isogai, 57, managed to escape.
In the Niigata city of Myoko, a garage was crushed under the weight of snow at around 8:30 a.m., killing Masatoshi Ono, 54, who had been inside.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.