(Central News Agency, Tokyo, 4th, comprehensive foreign news report) Japan has been observing the time when snow will first accumulate near the top of Mount Fuji since autumn and winter in 1894, and has relied on visual observation by workers for more than a century. Starting this fall, the task of visually observing Mount Fuji's "first crown of snow" has been handed over to the latest technology.
The "Yomiuri Shimbun" reported today that "first crown snow" refers to the first snow near the top of the mountain between August and July 31 of the following year. Mount Fuji's "first crown of snow" is a representative scenery of Japan entering winter.
This is visually observed by the staff of the Kofu Regional Meteorological Observatory from the Kofu Regional Meteorological Observatory 40 kilometers away from Mount Fuji. If it is vaguely confirmed that there is snow near the top of the mountain, Mount Fuji will be declared to have "first crown snow".
In previous years, Mount Fuji would receive its first snowfall around early October, so staff at the Kofu Regional Meteorological Observatory would use telescopes to observe around October. If the temperature near the summit drops below zero and the possibility of snow accumulation increases, the staff on duty will stare at Mount Fuji many times from the morning.
The earliest record of "first snow" on Mount Fuji was August 9, 2008; the latest record was in 2024. Affected by long-term high temperatures across Japan, Mount Fuji did not see "first snow" until November 7.
Mamoru Matsumoto is currently 62 years old. He once participated in observing the "first crown snow" on Mount Fuji at the Kofu Regional Meteorological Observatory. He said with a smile, "Staff are also looking forward to the snowy scenery of Mount Fuji. It will be really anxious in 2024." He recalled that around the end of October 2024, he received more than 20 calls a day from all over Japan asking "when will the first snow fall?" Mamoru Matsumoto said that at that time, "I still hoped that it would snow soon, so I was relieved when I saw the snow accumulation."
However, the problem with this method is that it is difficult to conduct visual observations at night or under clouds. It is said that at this time, observers have to stay on the roof for nearly an hour in the cold winter. Some people also reported that "the burden on the staff is heavy."
Therefore, Japan has decided to change its observation methods this autumn and switch to tools such as weather radar, automatic weather observation system AMeDAS, and weather satellites to more objectively grasp snow accumulation information in various places regardless of day or night and weather conditions.
When meteorological observatory staff used to visually inspect whether there was snow, if clouds and fog near the top of the mountain prevented observers from confirming it, this situation could not be called "first crown snow." By observing snow in a new way, it becomes possible to announce Mount Fuji's "first crown of snow" at night. Reports pointed out that this may also make it difficult for people to see the "first crown of snow" from a distance that day.
