The first cold wave of the season hit the Japanese archipelago, causing heavy snowfall across a wide area, including Hokuriku, Tohoku, and Hokkaido. In Sukayu, Aomori Prefecture, the snowfall reached nearly 3 meters, about twice the average. In Aomori City, 74 centimeters of snow accumulated on the 23rd. A resident clearing snow said, "This year is special. It started falling a lot early." A resident clearing snow said, "I didn't think it would snow this much." At Hirosaki Station, the tracks were buried in snow and could not be seen. Due to the heavy snow, some trains on the Ou Main Line were suspended. The heavy snow had a major impact on residents' everyday transportation, and JAF received multiple requests to be dispatched. The vehicle was a four-wheel drive, but it was stuck in the snow. It had to be towed out. They say the way the snow is falling this year is abnormal. Client: "It's been raining a lot in the last 2-3 days. It's rare to see something like this." JAF Aomori Branch, Miyazaki Kiyokazu, Commander: "In the last week, the number of requests for stuck and slipping due to snow damage has increased sharply. We've been receiving about 80-90 requests (per day) in Aomori Prefecture." This is the first cold wave of the season, and the mountainous areas of Niigata Prefecture have been experiencing heavy snowfall. In particular, in Tsunan Town, one of Japan's snowiest areas, the snowfall has exceeded 1 meter. Snow removal work usually begins at 3 a.m. Takahashi Construction's Kuwabara Kiyohiko, Snow Removal Center Director: "When the temperature is low, the snow falls lightly, but if it is left like this, it becomes a type of snow that is prone to freezing, so we spread antifreeze. If you don't know what obstacles there are on the road or what steps there are on the road surface, you will crash into it, so it's done by veterans who are well versed in the work." As the snow removal season begins in earnest, the serious manpower shortage that is getting worse year by year is a concern. "The biggest problem is the shortage of operators to operate snow removal vehicles," said Kiyohiko Kuwahara, head of the snow removal center at Takahashi Construction. "With the aging of the population, the issue is how to secure and train the next generation of young people. It's like young people don't want to stay in their hometowns..." According to the police, on the 23rd at around 3pm, a man in his 80s living in Uonuma City was found collapsed near the entrance to his house and was taken to the hospital, but is unconscious and in critical condition. They are investigating the possibility that he may have been involved in an accident while removing snow. Aomori City is experiencing about three times the amount of snowfall that is normal. The snow removal consultation desk is flooded with calls. Kiyoshi Narita, head of the Snow Countermeasures Office of the Aomori City Road Maintenance Division, said, "As of yesterday, we have received 2,902 consultations since November 1st. Last year, as of December 22nd, we would have had over 800 consultations. That's more than double." The shortage of workers is also a major problem in Aomori. One solution to this problem is the popular "matching" service. It matches people who want to do snow removal with people who meet the same conditions, such as the amount of compensation and the number of hours they work. A person who participated through matching said, "It's good value for money. I like to exercise and I can earn money, so it's killing two birds with one stone. It's 1,430 yen for an hour." In Hirosaki City, snowfall has reached about 4.7 times the average, the highest amount ever recorded in December. Hirosaki Branch Manager Masato Komatani: "'If it's just a little bit, I'll give it a try', 'If it's snow removal, it's close by and I can do it for about an hour', I think there is a need there. The users are elderly people, and some of them are not good with smartphones, so we need to consider this issue and move forward." The strong cold air is expected to linger in the Japanese archipelago through the 24th, and snowfall is expected to increase further. [TV Asahi News] https://news.tv-asahi.co.jp