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Sapporo, Japan sees the early first snow of the season

Sapporo, Japan sees the early first snow of the season

Sapporo, Japan sees the early first snow of the season
View of the observation deck at Mount Moiwa, Sapporo. | Image: X @sapporolife2021

In Sapporo, the capital of the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan, the first snowfall fell on Sunday, October 20th. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), snowfall this year came earlier than usual, falling eight days earlier than the long-term average and 22 days earlier than last year.

About 5 to 20 cm of snow fell in parts of Hokkaido, including Sapporo. | Image: JMA

Images from the observatory at the summit of Mount Moiwa, accessible by cable car and scenic gondola, showed about 5 centimeters of snowfall. The Sapporo Moiwayama ski resort is located southeast of Mount Moiwa and is accessible from a different direction than the Mount Moiwa cable car.

While the first snow, called 初雪 or “Hatsuyuki” in Japanese, didn’t stick, the first snow in Sapporo certainly has Japanese ski fans excited for the coming season.

The JMA predicts Japan will have a 40% colder winter than average. | Image: JMA
The first ski resort in Japan to open this season is the Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti on the main island of Honshu. In keeping with its 26-year history, Fujiyama Yeti is set to be first again and started snowmaking activity last week. To maintain its crown, the ski area operates snow cannons every year to produce enough snow for a single top-to-bottom run. The White Ribbon of Death may not be a world-class race, but it is enough to attract a large audience every year.

Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti is located in Susono City, Shizuoka Prefecture. At an elevation of 4,856 feet (1,480 meters), it offers beautiful views of Mount Fuji. Despite its small size with only five slopes and 150 meters of altitude, the opening of the Yeti Snow Park is always a highlight in the Japanese ski calendar and marks the start of the new ski season. Most Japanese ski resorts operate from December to May, with some resorts opening earlier if sufficient natural snow falls or artificial snowmaking facilities are in place.