According to CNN, reports of traffic congestion on the Kanetsu expressway connecting Tokyo and Japan's Niigata Prefecture began appearing on December 16. By early morning on December 17, authorities had to close the highway to reduce congestion.
According to Nippon Expressway Company (NEXCO) - a highway operator in Japan - traffic jams began after a car got stuck in the thick layer of snow right in the middle of the highway.
Japan's central and northern regions were hit by heavy snowfall that morning, disrupting traffic and cutting power in some areas.
Traffic on the expressway was stalled, peaking at the evening of December 17, with congestion lasting up to 15 km, according to information from NEXCO. A long line of vehicles may move slowly at the starting and ending points, but some drivers are still stuck at the spot for more than 40 hours.
Traffic congestion continued into December 18. The lanes from Tokyo have finally been cleared, but the routes into the capital are still unable to move. As of noon on December 18, there were still more than 1,000 cars stuck.
Photos of the highway show a long line of cars unable to move, many people standing outdoors with snow on their heads and around their vehicles, stuck in the snow-covered white fields.
The Japanese occupation forces have provided food, as well as thousands of liters of gasoline and diesel with mobile toilets to those stranded. They also helped clean up the snow. No serious or fatal incidents have been reported so far.
NEXCO has issued a warning to drivers, through social networks and radio stations, to be cautious of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning when waiting in the car for hours.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga met with ministers to discuss heavy snowfall, calling on local officials to cooperate to restore services and help those affected, NHK reported.
