A heavy snow warning was issued in Shirakawa Village in Gifu Prefecture on February 4.

There was less snow before noon, but it started snowing heavily again in the afternoon.

The snow made it difficult to see the Gassho-zukuri houses at the UNESCO world heritage site.

The popular tourist destination saw many Chinese tourists on Tuesday who were possibly visiting during the Chinese New Year holidays. 

Some of them were struggling to pull suitcases on the snow-covered roads. 

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, 178 centimeters of snow accumulated in Shirakawa Village as of 4 pm on February 4, a more-than-40-centimeter increase since February 3.

Snowplows were seen removing snow from the roads.

Five municipalities in Gifu Prefecture issued heavy snow warnings as of 5PM on February 4.