Gusts of up to 144 kilometres (90 miles) per hour were recorded in Muroran, an industrial city on Hokkaido's Pacific coast, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.

Tens of thousands of homes in and around the city were without power by around 10 am (0100 GMT) after winds and snow hit transmission cables, Hokkaido Electric Power Co. said.

A spokesman for the company said work was continuing to restore power, with the blackout for some only lasting a few hours.

According to media reports, about 90 train runs and 10 domestic flights were canceled due to the storm.