Local Government Support for Damages Caused by Snowfalls / 日本プライマリ・ケア連合学会誌

ABSTRACT

A wide array of natural disasters are known in Japan, but by the disaster category, snow hazards are recorded as the highest or the second highest after floods in casualties in certain years. Through interviews conducted in different regions where damages due to snowfalls are potentially significant, this paper attempts to compare between municipalities as to what kind of issues local governments face in relation to regular snow removals and what approaches they take in response to such issues. Among various snow-related complaints received from the community, those regarding “snow heaps” left behind along the frontages were the biggest concerns. Other complaints included manpower shortage including fewer construction workers who actually do snow removals, insufficient resources and materials, and difficulty in transferring technical knowledge.