Heavy snowfall in Japan left at least seven people dead and hundreds cut off over the weekend, media reported Monday.
More than a metre of snow fell in some parts of Japan since Friday, toppling trees and blocking roads, Japan Times reported Monday.
Deaths were reported from Takaoka and Himi in Toyama prefecture and Tsurugi in Tokushima prefecture.
On Sunday, all roads were blocked to the city of Miyoshi and the adjacent towns of Tsurugi and Higashimiyoshi in Tokushima prefecture, leaving around 1,200 residents cut off.
By Monday morning, some roads reopened, but around 770 people in 400 households were still stranded. Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) personnel were working to clear snow and fallen trees.
In Tsurugi, municipal employees and GSDF personnel visited households either on foot or by helicopter to check on residents.
As of Monday morning, about 1,000 households were still blacked out.