Page last updated at 13:39 GMT, Sunday, 8 January 2006

In pictures: Snowfall in Japan

Snow-capped Mount Fuji seen above the skyscrapers of Tokyo

Heavy snow is falling across parts of north and western Japan during the coldest winter since 1946.

A geisha shelters beneath a parasol as snow falls in Kyoto, Japan

The snow season came early this year. Weather forecasters say it has broken all records and is set to continue for another week.

A man tries to clear a thick layer of snow from his house

Many communities have been blanketed by the relentless snow. In some areas two-storey houses have been completely engulfed.

Soldiers help clear streets of snow in Iiyama, northern Japan

Soldiers have been called in to clear roads and routes in mountainous regions of the country.

A man clears snow from his roof in Iiyama, northern Japan

At least 63 people have died as a direct result of the extreme weather, many falling as they tried to shift snow from their rooftops.

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