According to images captured by local authorities and residents, snow has blanketed Mount Fuji today after an unprecedented long period without snowfall.
The Japan Meteorological Agency, which compares conditions at the same location annually, has not yet announced a new record for the latest snowfall on Mount Fuji due to cloudy conditions near the observation station. However, images from various locations around the mountain on the morning of November 6, with clearer skies, show that the summit is now covered in snow.
Screenshot from a live video broadcast by the Shizuoka city government on November 6 shows Mount Fuji (on the left) covered in a layer of snow at its summit as seen from the city of Shizuoka. (Photo: AFP/Shizuoka City Government)
“These are images of Mount Fuji taken from the city hall this morning. We can see a thin layer of snow near the summit,” the official account of Fuji city in Shizuoka region, central Japan, posted on social media X today. Many others in the area also shared photos of snow on Japan’s highest mountain.
Snow on Mount Fuji typically begins to appear around October 2. Last year, meteorologists in Kofu first detected snowfall on October 5. This year marks the latest snowfall since 1894, when scientists began recording data, surpassing the previous record of October 26, which occurred twice in 1955 and 2016.
According to an expert at the Kofu office of the Japan Meteorological Agency, the persistent cloudy conditions have prevented the declaration of a new record, but there is hope for clearer skies in the coming days. He added that today’s low temperatures mean the snow cover on the mountain is likely to remain for a while.
Global warming is one of several factors contributing to the late snowfall. “Temperatures in October on Mount Fuji are warmer than average,” said the expert from the Kofu office.
This summer and 2023 have been the hottest summers recorded in Japan. Extreme heat waves driven by climate change have also affected many regions around the world.
Mount Fuji stands at 3,776 meters above sea level. During the climbing season from July to September, over 220,000 tourists ascend its steep slopes, many of whom climb overnight to experience the sunrise. This symmetrical volcano has been depicted in countless works of art, including Hokusai’s “Great Waves.” The last recorded eruption of Mount Fuji was about 300 years ago.
