MAEBASHI -- Documents containing the personal information of an individual related to a traffic accident went missing after the famous dry winter wind gusts of east Japan's Gunma Prefecture blew papers away, the prefectural government announced Jan. 14.

The cold and dry winter seasonal wind in the prefecture is known as "the karakkaze of the Joshu region," and a prefecture official explained that the sudden gusts "blew the documents away."

According to sources including the prefectural government's Ota civil engineering office, a road patrol officer was inspecting damage to a guardrail at a traffic accident site in the city of Ota at around 2 p.m. Jan. 10 when a gust of wind blew away three stapled documents they were holding.

Eight prefectural employees searched for the documents and found two of them by 5 p.m. that day, but one containing the name, address, phone number and other information of an accident-related individual could not be located. The prefectural government contacted the individual by phone to explain the situation and apologize. No misuse of the personal information has reportedly been confirmed.

According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 12 meters per second from the west-northwest was observed around 12:50 p.m. the same day in the prefectural city of Kiryu, an observation point near the accident site. A representative at the civil engineering office stated that as a preventive measure, "We'd like to make sure that documents are placed in files or binders when taken outdoors."

(Japanese original by Azusa Hinata, Maebashi Bureau)