Japan - February 14, 2025 Japan has been grappling with continuous heavy snowfall in recent days, with Niigata Prefecture, located along the Sea of Japan in the Chubu region, bearing the brunt of the storm. The extreme weather has caused severe damage to homes and disrupted the daily lives of local residents. Aga Town, situated in the eastern part of Niigata Prefecture, has been one of the hardest-hit areas. After several days of relentless snowfall, many houses have collapsed, and the town's residents are facing significant challenges in their daily routines. "I haven't seen such heavy snow in recent years. This is truly a blizzard, without a doubt. I'm 76 years old now, and in the past, I've seen heavy snow before, but this amount of snow is beyond what we can handle," a local resident said in an interview with China Central Television. The village where the 76-year-old man lives has a predominantly elderly population. In the area, the snow has accumulated to more than 3 meters, with some houses completely buried. For the elderly residents, clearing the snow has become an increasingly daunting and dangerous task. "More than half of the people here are over 55 years old. People my age can still use machines to clear the snow, and I've done some snow removal myself today. But for those who can't, it's very hard. Many people just can't do it," the elderly man explained. Weather forecasts indicate that a new cold front is expected to strike northern Japan after Monday, with another round of heavy snowfall likely to spread across a wider area. Local residents fear that the ongoing snow storm will pose even greater challenges. SHOTLIST: Niigata Prefecture, Japan - Feb 14, 2025 1. Traffic, thick snow by roadside; 2. Various of residential houses buried under thick snow; 3. Various of old man walking slowly, thick snow by roadside; 4. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) local resident (name not given) (starting with shot 3): "I haven't seen such heavy snow in recent years. This is truly a blizzard, without a doubt. I'm 76 years old now, and in the past, I've seen heavy snow before, but this amount of snow is beyond what we can handle."; 5. Various of residential houses buried under heavy snow; 6. SOUNDBITE (Japanese) local resident (name not given): "More than half of the people here are over 55 years old. People my age can still use machines to clear the snow, and I've done some snow removal myself today. But for those who can't, it's very hard. Many people just can't do it."; 7. Various of excavator clearing snow; 8. Man clearing snow on roof; 9. Various of residential houses buried under heavy snow. [Restrictions: No access Chinese mainland]