Snow Removal

Overview

Here's a fact that may surprise Japan travelers who have only visited Tokyo: for months during winter, a large portion of the country is blanketed in snow. While Japan's capital city experiences relatively mild winters, about 20 million Japanese—some 15% of the population—live in regions that regularly get hit by heavy snowfall. On this edition of Japanology Plus, we learn how population centers like Sapporo deal with all that white stuff, and the challenges that lie ahead for Japan's snowiest regions.