The blizzard claimed the lives of six people in Fukui prefecture, 350 kilometers (about 220 miles) west of Tokyo, mostly older men who fell from their roofs as they shovelled snow, a prefectural official said.

Nearly two meters (6.5 feet) of snow piled up in Fukui on Sunday, with the weather agency forecasting another 70 centimeters (2.3 feet) to fall by Tuesday morning.

At least three more people died in western Kyoto and Kagawa prefectures in car accidents apparently caused by the snow, officials said.

Three meteorological stations -- two in Hiroshima prefecture and one in Shiga prefecture, both in western Japan -- have already marked their record snowfall for this date.

The central industrial city of Nagoya recorded 23 centimeters (nine inches) of snow, the most in 58 years, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

The snow has affected public transportation, with at least 48 flights cancelled by the two main carriers, Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways.

The bullet train was also forced to slow down between Tokyo and the western city of Osaka.

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