8 People Killed in Major Snowstorm in Japan

A major snowstorm struck western Japan last week killing eight people and stranding over 1,500 vehicles on a highway.

Some areas received about a metre of snow. The hardest-hit areas were the prefectures of Niigata and Toyama.

The City of Toyama received over one metre of snow, the most in 35 years according to NHK.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency said 249 cm was recorded in Takada.

The mountainous areas of the prefectures of Niigata and Toyama received heavy snow and it home to several ski resorts.