Japan braces for more heavy snow after 800 cars stranded during a 6-kilometre-long traffic jam

The 6-kilometre (4-mile) traffic jam happened after two trailers got stuck in the snow on Wednesday, forcing soldiers to come in and help free the vehicles

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said as much as 60 centimetres of snow could fall in the Tohoku region through Friday

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Japan Ground Self-Defense Force members clear snow on an expressway on Wednesday. Photo: apan Ground Self-Defense Force via AP

Published: 6:00pm, 25 Jan 2024Updated: 6:05pm, 25 Jan 2024

Japan’s weather agency on Thursday urged residents from the country’s north-to-west regions facing the Sea of Japan to be vigilant of further heavy snow after many vehicles were left stranded.

The warning comes a day after nearly 800 vehicles were trapped for hours on a highway in central Japan.

The 6-kilometre (4-mile) traffic jam happened after two trailers got stuck in the snow on Wednesday, forcing soldiers to come in and help free the vehicles.

Vehicles were also immobilised on a 5.5-km stretch of the opposing lane.

The disruption, which began around 9am on Wednesday, had ended by around 4am on Thursday, with the express operator and the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force clearing snow in the area.

Japan’s Meteorological Agency said as much as 60 centimetres (24 inches) of snow could fall in the Tohoku region through Friday, according to Japan’s Kyodo news agency. In the country’s northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido and the Kanto-Koshin and Hokuriku regions in eastern and central Japan, 50cm of snow is expected. The western Kinki and Chugoku regions are projected to see around 40cm.

Officials in Japan predicted more heavy snow on Thursday, a day after nearly 800 vehicles were trapped for hours on an expressway in central Japan. Photo: Japan Ground Self-Defense Force via AP

The traffic jam occurred on the Meishin Expressway in Gifu prefecture. Two children in a stranded vehicle became sick and were taken to a hospital, Kyodo reported.