View of the Observation Deck at Mount Moiwa, Sapporo. | Image: X @sapporolife2021
Sapporo, the capital of the island of Hokkaido in the north of Japan, saw its first snowfall on Sunday, October 20. This year, the snowfall came earlier than usual, falling eight days earlier than the long-term average and 22 days earlier than last year, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Around 5-20 cm of snow fell in parts of Hokkaido, including Sapporo. | Image: JMA
Pictures from the observatory at the top of Mount Moiwa, which can be reached by a ropeway and scenic gondola, showed about two inches (five centimeters) of snowfall. The Sapporo Moiwayama Ski Area lies on the southeast of Mount Moiwa and is accessed from a different direction than the Mount Moiwa Ropeway.
While the first snow, known in Japanese as ๅ้ช or โHatsuyuki,โ did not stay, the first snow in Sapporo certainly has Japanese ski fans excited for the upcoming season.
The JMA is forecasting a 40% colder than average winter for Japan. | Image: JMA
The first ski resort in Japan to open this season will be Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti on the main island of Honshu. In line with its 26-year history, Fujiyama Yeti is slated to be the first again and kick-started snowmaking activities last week. To retain its crown, the resort runs snow guns each year to make enough snow for a single run from top to bottom. The โwhite ribbon of deathโ may not be a world-class run, but itโs enough to draw a crowd each year.
Fujiyama Snow Resort Yeti is located in Susono City in Shizuoka Prefecture. At an altitude of 4,856 feet (1,480 meters), it offers beautiful views of Mount Fuji. Despite its small size, with only five ski runs and 492 feet (150 meters) of vertical, the opening of Yeti Snow Park is always a highlight on the Japanese ski calendar, marking the start of the new ski season. Most Japanese ski resorts operateย from December to May, with some resorts opening earlier if there is enough natural snowfall or if they have artificial snowmaking capabilities.
Industry News
