The Japanese capital of Tokyo shivered under an unusually prolonged snowfall on Thursday, with heavy snow warnings issued for the city and surrounding areas for the first time in four years.
Tokyo often sees snow once or twice a winter, but substantial accumulations are rare. Thursday's fall was brought about by a combination of a low pressure system and temperatures that have chilled the city for well over a week.
With temperatures continuing to fall, authorities warned about slippery streets and possible transit delays, although children played happily and others also said they enjoyed it.
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More than 500 people in Tokyo were treated at hospitals on Thursday and Friday after slipping and falling due to ice and snow on the streets, as the capital saw its first heavy snowfall in four years, authorities said.
Central Tokyo had 10 centimeters of snow by Thursday evening, with disrupted traffic restored to normal on Friday. Temperatures dropped to minus 3.5 C in central areas of the capital on Friday morning, although they rose by the afternoon due to sunny weather.
A total of 525 people, aged between less than 1 year old and 100, were taken to hospitals in the capital, including a woman in her 60s who suffered severe injuries, according to the Tokyo Fire Department.
It's Rare in Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, having a heavy snowfall.
