40-year-old woman dies in avalanche while snowboarding in Aomori

Japan Today -- Feb 22

A 40-year-old woman died after being buried by an avalanche while snowboarding at a ski resort in the Hakkoda Mountains near Aomori City on Sunday.

Police said Makiko Takashita, a company employee from Tokyo’s Shinagawa Ward, was caught in the avalanche at around 1 p.m., Fuji TV reported. Rescuers dug her out from under about 1.5 meters of snow 90 minutes later. She was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Police said that before the avalanche, Takashita was snowboarding with three friends on a steep slope outside the ski resort’s controlled areas.