Out-of-Season Snow Hits Tokyo

Above, the Godzilla slide at the Kurihama Flower World in Yokosuka. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This story reminds me of my trip to Japan six years ago when heavy snowfall covered the country by two storms. It was during the month of February and I arrived at the same time as the first storm.

According to Kyoto News Plus, an out-of-season storm hit Tokyo and that, plus the stay at home requests by the government, left Tokyo streets almost barren.

They wrote:

TOKYO - Crowds disappeared from bustling business and tourist districts as out-of-season snow fell in Tokyo and surrounding areas on Sunday, the second day under stay-at-home requests in the capital region due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

It was the first time in 32 years that central Tokyo witnessed the accumulation of snow measuring 1 centimeter or more in late March, according to the Japan Weather Association. 

As cold air gripped the Kanto-Koshin region, including the Tokyo metropolitan area and the prefectures of Yamanashi and Nagano, the temperature dropped below 1 C in Tokyo in the morning, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency. 

Tokyo's Akihabara district, a subculture hub known for attracting anime fans from across the country and overseas, observed a quiet Sunday with accumulated snow.

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