Hundreds of vehicles stranded northwest of Tokyo after heavy snowfall

The snow has disrupted multiple road and train services since Wednesday and is expected to continue to fall heavily through Friday in such regions, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. It warned of further traffic disruptions and slippery roads.

The government has also set up a task force to deal with the snow.

According to the police, some 300 vehicles were stranded at one point on the Joshinetsu expressway, which connects Niigata and Gunma prefectures, after a truck became unable to move due to the snow on Wednesday night. The gridlock lasted until around 10 a.m. Thursday.

In Niigata Prefecture, a line of vehicles stretched for about 15 kilometers on the Kanetsu expressway. The congestion was caused after a trailer got stuck in the snow near an interchange in the city of Minamiuonuma on Wednesday night.

Some areas in the country have seen record levels of snow. Minakami in Gunma Prefecture had about 190 centimeters over a 48-hour period to Thursday morning, while Yuzawa in Niigata Prefecture saw over 130 cm.