Japanese troops called in as blizzard pummels northern Japan

A blizzard battered Japan's northern island of Hokkaido
Monday as soldiers were dispatched to hard-hit areas, AP cited local media
as reporting.
Snow accumulation on the eastern tip of Hokkaido reached a record 179 centimetres in the region
where wind gusts reached 120 kilometre per hour, Hokkaido newspaper
reported.
Snow accumulation also reached 41 centimetres in Shari town over a
24-hour period and 37 centimetres in Nakashibetsu town, the report
said.
The storm caused the cancellation of 24 flights and about 100 train
services on the island on Monday, after about 100 flights and 85
train services were cancelled on the previous day, it said.