The World’s Snowiest Cities: Japan’s Coastal Gems

In the eastern United States, Pennsylvania is home to AccuWeather, a weather information company founded in 1962.

AccuWeather is a private, comprehensive weather information service company, often considered a model for Japan’s Weathernews Inc. (Headquartered in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture). AccuWeather continuously disseminates information on global climates via television, radio, newspapers, and web media.

In 2016, it conducted independent research to identify the cities with populations over 100,000 that experience the highest snowfall and published the findings.

The study specifically focused on cities with populations exceeding 100,000, excluding natural snowbound areas like Denali in Alaska.

So, if someone asked, “Which cities rank among the top three snowiest in the world?” what would you imagine?

“Somewhere in Northern Europe?”
“Maybe a city in Canada?”

While such responses might come to mind, it may surprise you to learn that cities in Japan dominate the top three rankings. First place goes to Aomori City, second to Sapporo City, and third to Toyama City, all located in Japan.

Expanding to the top 10, Akita City also makes an appearance in eighth place.

AccuWeather’s Ranking of the World’s Snowiest Cities

1. Aomori City
2. Sapporo City
3. Toyama City
4. St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada)
5. Quebec City (Quebec, Canada) / Syracuse (New York, USA)
7. Saguenay (Quebec, Canada)
8. Akita City
9. Rochester (New York, USA)
10. Buffalo (New York, USA)

The rankings were created using data provided by AccuWeather meteorologists, Japan’s Meteorological Agency, and The Weather Network in Canada.

“All research was conducted utilizing data and referrals from AccuWeather’s team of meteorologists and from information obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency and The Weather Network.” (Quate from AccuWeather)

Thus, cities from Japan, Canada, and the United States dominate the list, a bias reflecting the data sources. If other methods were employed, different results might emerge, as cities from Northern Europe and Russia are notably absent.

Nevertheless, it is safe to say that cities along Japan’s Sea of Japan coast are not merely snowy—they are among the snowiest globally.

Embracing the Snow: Lessons from Quebec City

As previously mentioned, the rankings are skewed toward cities in Japan, Canada, and the eastern United States. However, the Canadian and U.S. cities on the list, such as Quebec City, undoubtedly deserve the snowiest city label.

As the editor-in-chief of Hokuroku, I have visited many of the ranked cities for fieldwork, and I find the results highly relatable based on personal experience.

Quebec City, ranked fifth, stands out as a prime example.

English-speaking Canada, with French as its official language. Home to over 540,000 people, its population is comparable to cities like Kanazawa or Toyama^１ in Japan.

Despite being a significant urban center, Quebec City endures heavy snowfall. During my first visit there, the snow disrupted my schedule entirely.

Flights were canceled, road signs were buried in snow, and public buses were stranded. The temperature plunged to -15°C, far colder than winters in Hokuriku.

Both taxi drivers and local guides echoed the sentiment: “The snowfall today is extraordinary.”

Yet, what struck me most was how cheerful the people of Quebec City were despite the snow. Their resilience and joyous embrace of winter life left a lasting impression.

While winters in Hokuriku are often seen as a season to endure, Quebec residents approach snow with an entirely different mindset:

“It’s inevitable, so why not enjoy it?”

This philosophy is deeply ingrained in their way of life, as both children and adults find joy in snowy landscapes.

ケベック・シティ郊外に冬季限定で登場する〈アイスホテル〉撮影：坂本正敬

During my week-long stay, I witnessed the vibrant lifestyle of Québécois. Their approach to living with snow was both shocking and inspiring.

Although adopting their mindset entirely might be challenging, there’s much to learn from their philosophy of embracing winter as a season to enjoy rather than endure.

I guess Hokuriku residents might say, “We’re different,” or “Our strength lies in our perseverance.”

But the fact remains: there are people worldwide thriving in snow-laden environments even colder than Hokuriku.

Let us take a page from Quebecers’ book and reconsider our relationship with snow. Instead of seeing it solely as an inconvenience, we could appreciate it as a blessing from nature.

I encourage anyone raising children, involved in community development in Hokuriku, or simply living in urban areas to read this piece and join us in discovering how to embrace and enjoy life in the snow.

(Deputy Editor-in-Chief Ohtsubo’s Comment: Did you know cities in Hokuriku are among the snowiest in the world?

How we perceive snow can transform our lives.

Next, we’ll delve deeper into Quebec City’s snowy lifestyle and its lessons for snowy regions.)