SAPPORO – Around 7,000 people were forced to spend the night at Hokkaido’s New Chitose Airport on Sunday as 56 flights connecting the northern Japan hub with other major cities were canceled amid heavy snow, the operator Hokkaido Airports Co. said.
Sapporo logged 54 centimeters of snowfall in the 24 hours through 7 p.m. Sunday, a record high for January, according to the Hokkaido government.
Over 500 train services were canceled Sunday as snow was removed, including those serving New Chitose Airport, and linking Sapporo with Asahikawa and Hakodate, affecting about 130,000 people, Hokkaido Railway Co. said. Some train services continued to be suspended on Monday.
In Sapporo, an underground walkway in the vicinity of Sapporo Station remained open overnight for those facing difficulties getting home, with approximately 340 people having sheltered there as of 5:30 a.m. Monday.
AloJapan.com