Mount Fuji delayed first snowfall

Mount Fuji recorded its first snowfall of the season on October 30, approximately 28 days later than the historical average of October 2. This delay is noted as being among the latest since records began, following the 2024 season.

Scientists and environmentalists, including Greenpeace Japan, attribute this shift to climate change. An analysis of weather data from 1933 to 2024 reported a temperature increase of approximately 1.47 degrees Celsius on the mountain over the last century, alongside a decrease of about 15 frost days. Experts warn these shifts impact the mountain’s vegetation and water cycle.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported that this season marks a transition in monitoring procedures. For the first time in 132 years, the agency utilized weather radar and the Automated Meteorological Data Acquisition System (AMeDAS) rather than relying solely on visual confirmation by staff. Under this new system, 1 centimeter of snow was detected at the summit on the morning of October 30. In Fujiyoshida City, officials issued a “first snow decoration declaration” after visually confirming the snow cover.