HEAVY SNOW HAMPERS VOTING IN JAPAN AS SOME QUESTION MIDWINTER ELECTON - TOKYO JAPAN

HEAVY SNOW HAMPERS VOTING IN JAPAN AS SOME QUESTION MIDWINTER ELECTON - TOKYO JAPAN

@Jr_Paku Midin Channel

TOKYO

Voting for the general election took place Sunday amid heavy snowfall across large parts of Japan, with some voters struggling to reach polling stations and criticizing Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi over the timing of the midwinter poll.

A 90-year-old man who went to vote with his wife said fewer street speeches left him with limited chances to hear candidates' views. Office worker Kazuo Shiina, 47, said he rarely saw campaign vehicles, adding, "An election at this time is a mistake."

Takaichi's abrupt announcement in January to dissolve the House of Representatives for a snap election has been questioned, as it marks the first lower house race since 1990 to be held in February, when some regions experience heavy snowfall.

A heavy snow warning was in effect in Sapporo on Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido, where icy roads were covered with fresh snow, prompting many voters to walk cautiously.

A woman in her 70s who walked to vote said she was determined to cast her ballot "regardless of the weather," adding she "worried about slipping" but pushed herself to come.

In Aomori, northeastern Japan, where the Self-Defense Forces were deployed after heavy snowfall, voters bundled in winter coats and rubber boots braved blizzard conditions to reach polling stations.

Resident Masato Shimakawa, 72, expressed doubts about Takaichi's decision to launch the campaign in winter, saying that, while he lived nearby, the timing raised concerns for wheelchair users and others with mobility challenges.

On Sunday, heavy snowfall hit a wide swath of the country along the Sea of Japan coast, while central Tokyo was also lightly blanketed with snow. The Japan Meteorological Agency warned that heavy snow is expected to severely disrupt traffic in many areas.

In Tokyo and Yokohama, 3 to 5 cm of snow was observed as of 5 a.m.

Due to the snow, the Tokaido and Sanyo shinkansen bullet train lines operated at reduced speed from the start of Sunday's service between Shinagawa in Tokyo and Atami in Shizuoka Prefecture and between Hiroshima and Asa in Yamaguchi Prefecture, respectively, according to railway operators.

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@Jr_Paku Midin Channel