Thousands of residents in villages and towns across Japan remain stranded three days after a snowstorm, despite the military intervening to help with the clean-up.  

Japanese media reported that 16 people were killed in "snow related incidents" across seven prefectures affected by the weather and thousands have been injured. 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a parliamentary session on Monday: "Thanks to the weekend's snow in Yamanashi and Nagano prefecture, some areas have received the highest levels of snow ever recorded. Due to such things as having their roofs collapse, a large number of people have lost their lives.