Rescue and recovery efforts continue in central Japan, where a major earthquake hit one week ago.

At least 168 people have died, and more than 300 others remain unaccounted for in Ishikawa Prefecture.

Officials are still trying to grasp the full extent of the damage from the tremor and tsunami.

Severe cold and snow have come to the hardest-hit areas.

Officials are advising people affected by the disaster to take precautions against hypothermia.

As of 2 p.m. on Monday, snow accumulation in cities in the Noto Peninsula area had reached about 10 centimeters.

Officials are warning that damaged buildings could collapse under the weight of the snow.

Many of the people staying at temporary shelters are senior citizens. About 70 percent of the roughly 70 people at this evacuation center are elderly.

One evacuee said, "I haven't taken a bath for a week. I can't take a bath alone, I need someone to help me."
Another said, I have applied to move into municipal housing. If my application is not approved, I need to ask officials to find me somewhere to live."

As of Sunday, more than 28,000 people were living in shelters in Ishikawa Prefecture and 158 in Toyama Prefecture. At some evacuation centers, people have begun showing symptoms such as fever.

A gymnasium in Kanazawa City, the prefectural capital of Ishikawa Prefecture, began accepting elderly people, pregnant women and others who need special care on Monday. The facility is equipped with lifelines such as water and electricity, and can accommodate around 500 people. Officials plan to transfer evacuees to hotels and other facilities from there.

Ishikawa Governor Hase Hiroshi said, "We must prevent disaster-related deaths by all means. We want to improve the environment at evacuation centers as much as possible."

Local people and businesses are offering help.
A bathing facility in Shika Town is inviting local residents who have been unable to take a bath at home due to damage from the quake.

On Monday, staff finished distributing all 660 free tickets to enter the facility in less than 2 hours.
Visitors soaked in warm water and relaxed.

An evacuee said, "I have never felt so grateful. This is the best bath I've ever had."

Efforts are underway to rebuild damaged roads in order to search for survivors and deliver relief supplies.

The meteorological agency is calling on people in the disaster-hit areas to keep up their guard for earthquakes.

Tsukada Shinya, an official of Japan Meteorological Agency, said, "The possibility of another magnitude 7.6 earthquake has declined relative to right after the Jan. 1 disaster. But seismic activity continues."

The agency is warning of possible quakes with an intensity of upper five or more on the Japanese seismic scale of zero to 7 in the coming month.
The quake on the New Year's Day registered 7.