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Agencies

Snow fell in Tokyo and other parts of eastern Japan Thursday, the first snowfall in November in the capital in 54 years, with the unusually cold snap disrupting traffic and spiking electricity demand.
The last time snow fell in November in Tokyo, John F. Kennedy was President of the United States and singer Bob Dylan - who this year won the Nobel Literature Prize - had released his debut album just months before.
The snow, which began as sleet around dawn but turned to snow soon after, was sparked by an unusual cold front spreading over the Tokyo area that sent temperatures down to near zero degrees Celsius.
Average temperatures at this time of year are highs of 14 degrees Celsius and rose as far as 20 degrees Celsius as recently as Sunday.



“I was shocked,” said Masaru Machida, who had just finished night shift work and was walking home. “It’s too early.”
Though Tokyo does see snow at least once a year, it usually falls in January or February and rarely accumulates for long.
As much as 2 cm of snow was predicted for central Tokyo by the time the snow stops, likely by early afternoon, according to the Japanese Meteorological Agency.
East Japan Railway Co. said services on parts of the Ome and Chuo lines were suspended as snow-laden tree branches sagged over the tracks. Trains on other lines such as Seibu and Keio also saw delays, operators said.
According to the meteorological agency, a front moved eastward near the Izu Islands Chain, and a cold air mass with a minus 3 degrees Celsius temperature at an altitude of around 1,500 metres was spreading over the Kanto region including Tokyo.
Reuters and Kyodo


In pictures: Tokyo’s first November snowfall in 54 years,  residents slog to work in heavy coats and boots

People walk along Nakamise-dori, an approach to the Senso-ji temple, one of Tokyo's popular sightseeing spots. Photo: Kyodo

Men walk in the snow in Tokyo, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. Tokyo residents have woken up to the first November snowfall in more than 50 years. An unusually cold air mass brought wet snow to Japan's capital on Thursday. Above-freezing temperatures kept the snow from sticking, but forecasters said there could be an accumulation of up to 2 centimeters (1 inch). The last time it snowed in central Tokyo in November was in 1962. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A tourist is seen during the first November snowfall in 54 years in Tokyo, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The Great Buddha of Kamakura in Kanagawa Prefecture, near Tokyo, is covered with a thin layer of snow on the morning of Nov. 24, 2016, the day when the Japanese capital had snowfall in November for the first time in 54 years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

A man walks in the snow on a street in Tokyo, Thursday, Nov. 24, 2016. Tokyo residents have woken up to the first November snowfall in more than 50 years. An unusually cold air mass brought wet snow to Japan's capital on Thursday. Above-freezing temperatures kept the snow from sticking, but forecasters said there could be an accumulation of up to 2 centimeters (1 inch). The last time it snowed in central Tokyo in November was in 1962. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Snow falls across the rooftops of residential buildings during the early morning hours in Tokyo on November 24, 2016. Snow fell early in Tokyo this year, the first snowfall in November in the capital in 54 years, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. / AFP PHOTO / KAZUHIRO NOGI

A jogger is seen during the first November snowfall in 54 years in Tokyo, near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, November 24, 2016. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

People walk to their offices in Tachikawa, Tokyo, on the morning of Nov. 24, 2016, the day when the Japanese capital had snowfall in November for the first time in 54 years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

A child walks in the snow on the morning of Nov. 24, 2016, in Nishi-Tokyo, Tokyo, the day when the Japanese capital had snowfall in November for the first time in 54 years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

Snow accumulates on bicycles in Musashino, Tokyo, on the morning of Nov. 24, 2016, the day when the Japanese capital had snowfall in November for the first time in 54 years. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

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The last time snow fell in November in Tokyo, John F. Kennedy was President of the United States
