A further 26 people are injured in the crash on a highway in central Japan, police say.
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The incident was caused by a crash between two trucks, sparking a chain reaction that set at least 10 vehicles on fire, local police said.
A 77-year-old woman from Tokyo was killed, and another body was discovered in the driver's seat of a burnt-out truck. Five people were seriously injured and 21 suffered minor injuries, police said.
There was a heavy snow warning in place at the time of the crash. Police believe icy surfaces likely caused the trucks to skid on the roads.
The crash happened on the Kan-etsu Ex