Tokyo: Japan’s Mount Fuji has received its first snowfall of the season, arriving 21 days later than the long-term average, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).

The snow was confirmed on Thursday when the 3,776-meter peak appeared dusted white for the first time this winter. The average date for the first visible snow on Mount Fuji is October 2, but this year it was delayed due to lingering warm weather across much of Japan.

Officials from the JMA’s Kofu observatory said the reason for the late snowfall remains uncertain, though Japan experienced record-breaking heat this summer. In August, temperatures in parts of the country soared to 41.8 degrees Celsius, one of the highest ever recorded.

Last year’s first snow on Mount Fuji came even later, on November 7  the latest date since records began in 1894. The repeated delay of seasonal snow has raised questions about shifting weather patterns linked to climate change.

Mount Fuji, often depicted with a snow-capped summit in Japanese art and featured on the 1,000-yen banknote, holds deep cultural significance. The late arrival of snow has therefore caught public attention, serving as both a natural and symbolic reminder of Japan’s changing climate.

While scientists note that a single delayed snowfall does not confirm long-term trends, the pattern of later winters in recent years adds to growing evidence of the impact of rising global temperatures on traditional weather cycles.