The Kanto region of Japan was struck by a snowstorm on Saturday, Feburary 08, 2014.  It is reported to be the worst in about a decade.  Atsugi-shi in Kanagawa is also struck by the snow  storm.

I actually slept until six in the evening on Saturday because it was too cold to get up in my apartment.  When I went outside the entire ground and even the stairs that lead to my apartment were covered in thick snow of about 30-40 cm thick.  Outside I could see local inhabitants shoveling the snow not only in their doorsteps but also on the middle of the road.  It was interesting to watch how people of different household collaborate together to clean the public places surrounding their houses.

Most of the shops were closed on Saturday evening, including the ramen shop right in front of the alley that leads to my apartment. The shops that were open include HottoMotto (a bento shop), convenient stores such as FamilyMart, 7 Eleven, and Lawson, and Yamada Todo (a restaurant).

KAIT was closed as well, and the automatic sensor doors became manual doors where students have to open them with their hands.  This actually proves to be beneficial to me because currently I cannot swipe myself into this building yet and now I could pry the doors open with my hands.

The snow storm stopped sometime around midnight and by Sunday a portion of the snow on the ground has been cleared away by the inhabitants.  The public transportation had some trouble driving though, and some buses became stuck inside the snow.