Japan Top 10

In northern Japan, the snowfall can be several tens of centimeters a day. Up to a meter some days in Hokkaido, Aomori, and Akita.

In Tokyo, the biggest snowfall of the season was almost 10 cm. It caused one of the largest traffic chaoses in several years. But today, the day after the biggest snowfall in years all over the Kanto region (where Tokyo is located) the traffic problems are even worse.

I wrote a separate longer piece about winter driving. It is generic but check it out, because Japan in winter is completely different when it comes to driving than Japan in summer.

When the snow was falling, drivers realized that they should be careful. Today, there is no snow on the roads, so drivers think it it is OK to drive as usual. But it is more dangerous than when the snow is falling.

It is still cold, but the sun is shining. So the snow melts, and then the water freezes. It becomes incredibly slippery, and cars in the Tokyo area do not have snow tires – which means they will slip here and there.

Pedestrians are forced into the road by the snow, and they can slip and fall without warning. But the biggest danger is the people who insist on riding bicycles. They are liable to slip too, and since they have even worse balance than pedestrians, and are dragging a big steel frame, they can be even more of a traffic obstacle than pedestrians.

If you are visiting Tokyo, try to stay on roads that have pavements, where you are out of the way from traffic. And dress well. It may feel warm when the sun is shining, but three degrees minus is much colder than you believe.