Central Japan Braces for Heavy Snowfall and Transport Disruptions

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued a warning to residents in central Japan, particularly within Tokyo's 23 wards, regarding heavy snowfall expected to begin the evening of March 4 and continue until the morning of March 5. Authorities anticipate that accumulated snow could interfere with transportation, create slippery road conditions, and potentially damage infrastructure in affected areas. Regions of specific concern include Tokyo, the Kanto area, as well as Yamanashi, Nagano, and Shizuoka prefectures.

According to the agency, areas located in mountainous terrain will experience more severe snowfall. The predicted heavy snowfalls result from cold air hovering over central Japan combined with a low-pressure system traveling along Honshu Island's southern coastline. The highest snowfall predicted within a 24-hour span until early morning March 5 includes up to 30 centimeters in northern Kanto's mountains and the prefectures of Yamanashi and Nagano, around 20 centimeters in the Hakone, Tama, and Chichibu areas, and approximately 3 centimeters in Tokyo's 23 wards.

Local officials are proactively alerting residents to remain vigilant and to anticipate potential disruptions in traffic, hazardous icy roads, and damaged agricultural infrastructure, particularly facilities such as polytunnels. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism has already declared a series of "preventive closures" involving 25 expressways and 11 national highways, primarily concentrated around the Kanto region.

Specifically, planned road closures on March 4 impact essential transportation routes, including Tokyo's Central Circular Route between Oi Junction and Kumanocho Junction, sections of the Tomei Expressway between Tokyo Interchange and Shimizu Interchange, the Shin-Tomei Expressway from Ebina-Minami Junction to Shin-Hadano Interchange, and a stretch of National Route 246 in Kanagawa Prefecture. Authorities recommend avoiding outdoor trips and suggest working remotely to minimize the need for commuting during this period.

Public transit services have also been significantly affected. East Japan Railway Co. (JR East) announced cancellations of all Azusa express train services running between Shinjuku Station in Tokyo and Matsumoto Station in Nagano Prefecture after a specified afternoon departure on March 4. Additional affected services include other express trains, notably the Fuji Excursion and Kaiji lines. Furthermore, the JR Ome Line, servicing between Ome and Okutama stations in western Tokyo, will temporarily halt operations in both directions from approximately 4 p.m. on March 4 until around noon on March 5.