Fuji gets snowcap later than usual

KOFU, Yamanashi Pref. (Kyodo) Mount Fuji got its first snowcap of the season Saturday, five days later than average but one day earlier than last year, the Kofu Local Meteorological Observatory said.

The city of Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi Prefecture, which makes its own observations also declared the season's first snowcap for Japan's tallest mountain, two days earlier than last year.

The city, located at the foot of Fuji, said officials confirmed that a thin layer of snow covered the mountain from its peak to the ninth level.

The Kofu observatory, located about 40 km from Mount Fuji, has long monitored snowfall levels on the mountain. Fujiyoshida began doing so last year.