The coldest winter snap of the season resulted in heavy snow that disrupted trains, domestic flights and other transportation systems across Japan.
On January 24 there was heavy snowfall in the Kinki area, which affected about 140,000 people, West Japan Railway Co. said on January 25 that 600 trains, including limited-express runs, were suspended or delayed in the Kinki area.
On January 24, trains were stuck between stations on the Kyoto, Biwako and Sanyo lines from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. Passengers walked along the railway tracks to nearby stations.
The trains switches at several stations on the Kyoto and Biwako lines didn't work properly, the company said.
JR West said on 4: 25 a.m. that it would suspend operations of 83 limited-express trains on several lines.
East Japan Railway Co. JR East said that the Yamagata Shinkansen Line between Fukushima and Shinjo stations would be shut down throughout the day on January 25.
JR East will suspend bullet train services between Tokyo and Fukushima stations.
Snow has also impacted air travel.
All Nippon Airways Co. ANA canceled 85 flights on January 25. They included all flights to and from Wakkanai, Hakodate and Odate-Noshiro airports in Hokkaido and Akita Prefecture, and some flights to and from airports on the Sea of Japan side of the nation, including in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions.
On January 24, ninety-four ANA flights were canceled, affecting 4,100 passengers.
Chubu Centrair International Airport in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, closed its runway at 9 a.m. on January 25 for snow-removal work.
The runway was supposed to be opened after 10 a.m. but it said visibility is still poor due to the snow falling diagonally as of 9: 40 a.m. Twenty-three domestic flights were called off due to the runway closure or the effects of snowfalls around the nation.
On January 25, a 47 kilometer traffic jam had formed on the Meishin Expressway bound for Nagoya, starting from the Setahigashi Interchange in Shiga Prefecture, West Nippon Expressway Co. said.