Hundreds of vehicles are reportedly stranded on expressways in Fukui and Toyama prefectures due to heavy snow.
Central Nippon Expressway says that as of 4 a.m. Sunday, nearly 700 vehicles are stuck on the Hokuriku Expressway in Fukui Prefecture.
It adds that about 590 of them are on the outbound lanes near the Fukui-kita and Maruoka interchanges, and around 95 on the inbound lanes nearby.
In Toyama Prefecture, company officials say about 200 vehicles are stranded over a stretch of more than 10 kilometers on the Tokai-Hokuriku Expressway.
They say the vehicles are on the inbound lanes between the Oyabe-Tonami junction and Fukumitsu interchange.
Both Fukui and Toyama prefectures say they've requested the deployment of Ground Self-Defense Force personnel to help tow the vehicles and to distribute food and gasoline.