■Nathan Shiga: January 24

Japan is freezing amid the coldest of winters and Honshu is largely snow-capped white. Yesterday, Tokyo’s expressway networks fell prey to snowfalls since last night as the nation’s longest underground expressway in mid-Tokyo was paralyzed with hundreds of vehicles stuck underground as both ends plugged with lorries unable to climb up and down the slopes.

Tokyo will virtually freeze tomorrow morning at 4 points below zero and the upper half of Japan from Nagoya above is about to have the heaviest of snows in a few decades – over 9 feet in Niigata, Akita and the rest along the Japan Sea coast, 6 feet in mid-areas and not less than 3 feet in the northern part of Kanto Plain.

Two major cold spells 45℃ below zero are descending from the continent and at 1500 meters above ground drops to -15℃ producing stormy blizzards and heavy snowfalls.

The Meteorological Agency issued a low-temperature alert in Tokyo, January 24, warning against traffic accidents and possible burstings of the water pipes. According to the Meteorological Agency, it was 33 years ago the last such alert was issued.

The agency further forecasts the cold spells will blow strong winds from tomorrow morning into the whole day 26th up to 25m/h in Kinki, 23m/h in Hokkaido, Hokuriku, and Chugoku – possibly up to 35m/h in some areas with storms with waves 6-7m high.

The cold spells are likely to stay till Saturday this week. Both the Meteorological Agency and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport are unanimous in warning against unnecessary outings amid furious snowstorms.

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