Tokyo Snow A Year Ago

Above, Keisei Line trains stuck in a station in Chiba Prefecture. My train is on the left. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo received its first snowfall last Friday and Saturday. Several news organizations posted photos of the the snow taken at different points in the city.

They all brought back memories of last February 8 when I arrived at Narita International Airport to find myself having a difficult time getting a train out of the airport and when I did, I ended up getting stuck in a train car (at least we were at a station where food and restroom facilities were available) for 16 hours due to the snow.

Above, snow in front of a Tokyo supermarket. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I knew beforehand that Tokyo gets snow on occasion, but the snowfall that week was unusually heavy (there were two big storms and some smaller flurries in-between) and the city didn't seem to know how to cope with it. I was surprised that I didn't see any snowplows out clearing the streets. Could it be that Tokyo doesn't have any?

Above, the Toho Studios Godzilla statue and snow remnants. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

At least the snow made the trip a little more interesting (not that it was necessary to do so) and I managed to get some photographs of it.

Above, the second big storm hit Tokyo on February 15. This is a view of it from my hotel window. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, the street in front of Tsukuba Hotel in Ueno the morning after the
second big snowstorm of the week to hit Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.