In pictures | Extraordinary snowfall in Tokyo

Tokyo’s streets and shrines were covered in snow on Thursday, a very rare event in recent years, with more than 100 domestic flights canceled.

The Japanese Meteorological Agency has warned of heavy snowfall in the Tokyo region in 2018, with up to 10 centimeters of snow expected in 12 hours.

An official at Haneda Airport, one of the two airports in the Japanese capital, told AFP that 118 domestic flights – 66 departures and 53 arrivals – had been canceled without specifying the total number of passengers affected.

Another official said no international flights had been canceled yet.

The JR East Railway Company said on its website that some passenger trains in Tokyo were also running late.

In Ginza, a business and luxury shopping district, many passers-by do not go out by protecting themselves with their umbrellas and especially being careful not to slip.

But some took the time to appreciate this extraordinary sight, while Shigeko Nagahama, 73, an AFP journalist, was photographing the facade of her kabukija theater while the traditional Japanese kabuki theater was covered with roofs. Snow-covered curves.

“It simply came to our notice then. The snow gives a lovely side, I think, ”she commented.