Mount Fuji is still without its iconic snowcap for the first time in 130 years

Japan’s iconic Mount Fuji, known for its snowcap forming astir this clip of nan year, is still snowless successful November for nan first clip successful 130 years, presumably because of nan unusually lukewarm temperatures successful nan past fewer weeks

TOKYO -- Japan's iconic Mount Fuji, known for its snowcap forming astir this clip of nan year, is still snowless successful November for nan first clip successful 130 years, presumably because of nan unusually lukewarm temperatures successful nan past fewer weeks.

The deficiency of snowfall connected Mt. Fuji, a UNESCO World Heritage site, arsenic of Tuesday breaks nan erstwhile grounds group connected Oct. 26, 2016, meteorological officials said.

Usually, nan 3,776-meter- (nearly 12,300-foot-) precocious upland has sprinkles of snowfall falling connected its acme starting Oct. 2, astir a period aft nan summertime hiking play location ends. Last year, snowfall fell connected nan upland connected Oct. 5, according to nan Japan Meteorological Agency, aliases JMA.

The snowless Mt. Fuji has captured attraction connected societal media. People posted photos showing nan bare mountain, immoderate expressing astonishment and others concerned complete ambiance change.

The JMA's Kofu Local Meteorological Office, which keeps upwind information successful cardinal Japan and was nan agency that announced nan first snowfall connected Mt. Fuji successful 1894, has cited October's amazingly summery upwind arsenic nan reason.

The mean October somesthesia is minus 2 Celsius (28.4 Fahrenheit) astatine nan summit, but this year, it was 1.6 Celsius, (34.9 F), a grounds precocious since 1932.

Japan this twelvemonth besides had an unusually basking summertime and lukewarm autumn.

A awesome of Japan, nan upland called “Fujisan” utilized to beryllium a spot of pilgrimage. The upland pinch its snowy apical and adjacent symmetrical slopes person been nan taxable of galore forms of art, including Japanese ukiyoe creator Katsushika Hokusai's Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji.

Today, it attracts hikers who climb to nan acme to spot nan sunrise. But tons of trash near down and overcrowding person triggered interest and calls for biology protection and measures to power overtourism.