Winter Arrives Early: Japan’s First Snowcap of the Season Recorded on Hokkaido’s Mount Asahi
On October 2, the first snowcap of the season in Japan was recorded on Mount Asahi in Hokkaido's Daisetsuzan volcanic mountain range. Driven by a surge of unseasonably strong cold air typically seen in late October, the area around the summit was transformed into a silvery white landscape, sparking widespread surprise and a sense of winter’s arrival across social media. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), this season marks a change in reporting procedures: the traditional practice of visual human observation from meteorological observatories has been phased out, and the official announcement of the first snowcap is now determined using advanced analyzed snow depth data. Alongside Mount Asahi, early snowfall and snowcaps were also observed on nearby Mount Kurodake and neighboring peaks. Residents across Hokkaido took to social media with comments like "No wonder it felt so freezing today!" and "Winter is finally knocking at the door." The news als...