Interpreter Takezawa here, continuing our study of Mount Fuji!
Last time, we learned about the general climate of Mount Fuji. This time, we’ll stay focused on the weather, but with a historical lens.
Climbers reach the summit of Mount Fuji via one of four trails: Fujinomiya, Subashiri, Gotemba, or Yoshida.
Upon reaching the top, while you might want to savor your achievement, many climbers quickly set their sights on the next goal: Kengamine, the highest peak on Mount Fuji and in all of Japan.
As you look toward Kengamine, you’ll see the old Mount Fuji Weather Station, now retired. This was once a weather observation post of the Tokyo District Meteorological Observatory, part of the Japan Meteorological Agency. It closed in 2004 and became the Mount Fuji Special Regional Meteorological Observation Station, where weather data is collected by automatic instruments.
What was the Mount Fuji Weather Station? What was weather observation like on Mount Fuji? Let’s explore the history of weather observation on this iconic mountain.
A History of Weather Observation on Mount Fuji
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1880: First Full-Scale Weather Observation
In August, American physics professor Thomas Corwin Mendenhall from the University of Tokyo, along with Aikitsu Tanakadate and others, stayed on the summit and conducted the first weather observations.
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1887: Weather Observation at Subashiri Trail Summit
In September, German meteorologist Erwin Knipping and others carried out weather observations. Knipping is known as the first person to issue a weather forecast in Japan.
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1895: Start of Regular Summer Weather Observation
The Central Meteorological Observatory continued summer summit weather observations at Mt. Kusushi.
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1895: Winter Weather Observation
Kiichi and Chiyoko Nonaka conducted winter weather observations. They set up a private wooden observation hut on the summit (where there were no official facilities) and began observations scheduled from October 1st to the following spring.
However, due to hypothermia, altitude sickness, and malnutrition from food shortages in the simple wooden hut, they abandoned the observation in December and descended the mountain.
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1927: Completion of an Observation Hut at Higashi-Arakawa on the Summit
Junichi Sato, who had been the director of the Tsukuba Mountain Weather Station, raised donations from private organizations and built the “Sato Hut” on the summit, in the Higashi-Arakawa area. His weather observations continued until 1931.
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1930: Junichi Sato’s Winter Weather Observation
Twenty-five years after Kiichi and Chiyoko Nonaka’s winter weather observations, Junichi Sato, with the help of Rikifang Yoshikichi, endured beriberi and other hardships to stay at the summit and conduct observations from January to February.
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1932: Establishment of the “Central Meteorological Observatory Temporary Weather Station” – Year-Round Observation Begins
The first publicly-funded observation station on Mount Fuji, the “Central Meteorological Observatory Temporary Weather Station,” was established, and year-round weather observations began.
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1936: Relocation to Kengamine as the “Central Meteorological Observatory Mount Fuji Summit Observation Station”
The “Central Meteorological Observatory Mount Fuji Summit Observation Station” became the official name, and a new building was constructed and relocated to Kengamine, the highest peak on the summit.
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1950: Promoted to “Mount Fuji Weather Station”
After the end of World War II, the observation station was promoted to a weather station and renamed “Mount Fuji Weather Station.”
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1964: Completion of the “Weather Radar”
The “Mount Fuji Weather Radar,” a weather radar dome capable of detecting up to 800 kilometers away, was completed. The story of its construction was novelized by Jiro Nitta, and a movie was made based on that novel. Formal operation began in 1965.
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1977: Completion of the Geostationary Meteorological Satellite “Himawari” (Sunflower)
The weather radar had previously been responsible for typhoon and rainfall observations, but its role in typhoon observation gradually decreased after the completion of “Himawari.”
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1999: Abolition of Mount Fuji Weather Radar
On November 1, 1999, the weather radar’s operation ended, having completed its tasks, including rainfall observation. The radar dome was removed, marking the end of its 35-year history.
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2004: End of Resident, Manned Observation
The Mount Fuji Weather Station was unmanned, and operation of the Mount Fuji Automatic Meteorological Observation System began. The manned observation that had continued since 1932 ended after 72 years.
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2008: Transition to the “Mount Fuji Special Regional Meteorological Observation Station”
From October 2008, the Mount Fuji Weather Station became the “Mount Fuji Special Regional Meteorological Observation Station.”
Currently, the only weather data collected at the summit are temperature, sunshine duration, humidity, and atmospheric pressure. The NPO “Group to Utilize the Mount Fuji Weather Station” monitors data on SO₂, geomagnetism, lightning, and more.
The harshness of weather observation on Mount Fuji is evident in novels and films. Well-known works include Jiro Nitta’s “Mount Fuji Summit,” which tells the story of the construction of the Mount Fuji radar, with Nitta serving as the head of the Meteorological Agency’s Measurement Division.
The movie “Mount Fuji Summit,” produced by and starring Yujiro Ishihara, was based on this book.
This construction documentary was also featured as the first theme of NHK’s “Project X: Challengers.”
Also, the story of the Nonaka couple was novelized by Jiro Nitta as “The Person of Fuyo” and later adapted into a drama.
Please take a look!
