Mount Fuji: Snow back on Japan landmark after longest absence

Japan’s Mount Fuji has seen its first snowfall after going through the longest period without snow since records began 130 years ago.

As Japan recovers from one of its hottest summer, winter fell on its highest peak about a fortnight later than expected.

The announcement was welcomed, with visitors celebrating and sharing pictures of the snow-clad top.

One of Japan’s most well-known holiday attractions is Mount Fuji, which has inspired generations of Japanese art.

Snow was spotted on Wednesday, 5 November, by the Japan Meteorological Agency’s unit in Shizuoka.

As images of the white top disperse on Wednesday, an X person commented,” Oh, I’ve been waiting for this”. Another wrote,” I’ve never been so excited for the first snowstorm this time”.

” Finally … make-up makes you look even more beautiful”, read a third tweet, referring to the white peak.

The Kofu department of the wind agency is expected to release an update on the precise date of snowfall.

According to the AFP media company, this was the most prolonged incident since 2023, when snowfall was first spotted on the summit on October 5, 2018. The past history was 26 October- that happened half, in 1955 and 2016.

Located south-west of Tokyo, Mount Fuji stands at 3, 776m ( 12, 460 ft ). Its next eruption, which occurred more than 300 years ago, is visible from the capital on clear days.

Japan had its second-hottest summer ever, 2003, with temperatures between June and August 1.76C ( 3.13F ) higher than average.

The warmer-than-usual wind continued in September.

Although it’s difficult to directly feature Mount Fuji’s delayed snowstorm to climate change, it is in line with what experts predict in a warming planet.