Parts of Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido have seen an enormous amount of snowfall this year. In the Obihiro area, 4+ feet of snow fell in just 12 hours earlier this week, shutting down nearby ski areas and setting a new record for the largest 12-hour snowfall in Japan’s history.
While that snowfall was more than they’d ever seen in such a short time, many Japanese towns are no strangers to monstrous snowfalls. When these massive snow storms roll through, cities will ship the snow out of town rather than letting it pileup and block streets. In the video below, a snow removal plant in the city of Otaru gets rid of built up snow by dumping it into the ocean.
Dozens of flights were cancelled in the Obihiro area, runways Obihiro and Kushiro airports were closed, post offices and other distribution services were closed, and 370 schools cancelled classes on Tuesday, but the popular snow festival in Sapporo wasn’t majorly disrupted.