6-11-2024 (TOKYO) Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji has at last received its first snowfall of the season, marking the latest arrival of the mountain’s characteristic white cap since records began in 1894.
Local residents and authorities around the sacred peak shared photographs on Wednesday showing a light dusting of snow on the volcano’s summit, ending an unprecedented period of bare slopes that had sparked concerns among environmentalists and weather experts alike.
Officials from Fuji City, situated in Shizuoka Prefecture, confirmed the development through social media, sharing images of the mountain’s peak adorned with a thin layer of snow visible from their city hall. The announcement prompted an outpouring of relief from local communities, with one nursing home expressing satisfaction at seeing the mountain return to its more familiar snow-topped appearance.
The delayed snowfall has shattered previous records, occurring more than a month later than the average date of 2 October. The previous latest recorded snow arrival was 26 October, documented in both 1955 and 2016.
While the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) has yet to officially confirm the record due to cloud cover at their monitoring station in Kofu City, officials indicate that current low temperatures should ensure the snow’s persistence.
A JMA spokesperson attributed the delayed snowfall partly to global warming, noting October temperatures at the summit were notably above average. This follows Japan’s joint-hottest summer on record, mirroring global temperature trends that have seen unprecedented heatwaves worldwide.
The 3,776-metre peak, which draws over 220,000 hikers during its summer climbing season, holds deep cultural significance in Japan. Immortalised in countless artistic works, including Hokusai’s famous “Great Wave” print, Mount Fuji typically maintains its snow cover throughout most of the year, making this season’s delay particularly noteworthy.
