Deep in the mountains of Niigata Prefecture, in the snow country of northern Japan, lies the tiny town of Takamachi. Heavy snowfalls can isolate towns and hamlets in the area for days.

During the worst blizzard to hit the area in thirteen years, work crews were attempting to clear the roads in and around Takamachi. On a Thursday, since the snowfall seemed to be letting up, Mrs. Tomiko Takano, 37, ventured out on an errand with her daughter. Her husband had left the house earlier to join the road clearing crews.

While Tomiko and her seven-year-old daughter Izumi were outside clearing a path to the road, an unusually high pile of snow on the roof suddenly gave way. Mother and daughter were buried beneath nearly ten feet of snow.

When Mr. Takano returned later in the day he saw that his wife and daughter were missing. He immediately launched a search. They were not found.

The next day, a work party clearing snow from around the Takano home heard a soft whimpering from a huge mound of snow beside the house. Frantically, they dug toward the sound and discovered Mrs. Takano's frozen body curled around Izumi. Because of her motherly love, Tomiko Takana gave her own life to save Izumi's life.