On December 2nd, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Japan Meteorological Agency issued a statement regarding heavy snowfall.
From December 3rd to 4th, a strong cold air mass is expected to flow into the upper atmosphere near Japan, strengthening the winter pressure pattern. Snow is expected to fall widely, mainly along the Sea of Japan coast from northern to western Japan, with heavy snowfall in mountainous areas and the possibility of snow accumulation even in lowland areas.
Additionally, very strong winds and blizzards are expected in the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, and there is a possibility of rough seas.
In the past, heavy snowfalls have caused significant disruption to traffic, primarily due to large vehicles becoming stranded. Therefore, the law states that "transportation businesses must take necessary measures to ensure safety, such as confirming that winter tires are installed on their commercial vehicles, when there is a risk of jeopardizing the safety of transportation during heavy snowfalls."
If you must drive a car, please ensure you have winter tires installed, have prior knowledge of how to install snow chains and carry them with you, and install them as early as possible. You are also requested to carry winter equipment such as a shovel and sand.
Furthermore, because snowfall may cause widespread road closures on expressways and parallel national highways, the authorities are also calling for "wide-area detours" and "reviewing travel routes."
<Vehicle congestion on the E1 Meishin Expressway (January 24, 2024). It took up to 34 hours for the road closure to be lifted.>
<Examples of vehicle parking in Nagaoka City, Niigata Prefecture>
Furthermore, if a serious vehicle becomes stranded on a snowy road, an audit will be conducted to confirm the facts, and if the measures taken are deemed insufficient, administrative penalties may be imposed.
In addition to managing operations appropriately, they are also calling on shippers to cooperate by "refraining from making unnecessary or non-urgent transportation requests to trucking companies."
