BBC News Online | In Pictures | In pictures: Snowfall in Japan

08 Jan 06 13:39

Snow-capped Mount Fuji seen above the skyscrapers of Tokyo

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Heavy snow is falling across parts of north and western Japan during the coldest winter since 1946.

A geisha shelters beneath a parasol as snow falls in Kyoto, Japan

A geisha shelters beneath a parasol as snow falls in Kyoto, Japan

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The snow season came early this year. Weather forecasters say it has broken all records and is set to continue for another week.

A man tries to clear a thick layer of snow from his house

A man tries to clear a thick layer of snow from his house

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Many communities have been blanketed by the relentless snow. In some areas two-storey houses have been completely engulfed.

Soldiers help clear streets of snow in Iiyama, northern Japan

Soldiers help clear streets of snow in Iiyama, northern Japan

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Soldiers have been called in to clear roads and routes in mountainous regions of the country.

A man clears snow from his roof in Iiyama, northern Japan

A man clears snow from his roof in Iiyama, northern Japan

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At least 63 people have died as a direct result of the extreme weather, many falling as they tried to shift snow from their rooftops.