Snow blankets autumn leaves at Biei as northern Japan turns wintry

Mountain roads in Aomori stall under snow, while Hokkaido's Blue Pond offers a quieter view of the seasonal change.

Channel: YTN ·

South KoreaStory of October 30, 2026Trari Newsroom

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생각도 못 한 폭설에 '당황'...하루아침에 계절 바뀐 일본 [자막뉴스] / YTN

Snow settles over autumn foliage beside Biei's Blue Pond, leaving blue water, fall colors and fresh white snow in the same frame. Elsewhere in northern Japan, the change brings more immediate difficulties: cars stopped on snowy mountain roads with their hazard lights flashing.

South Korean news broadcaster YTN's report moves between Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, and Aomori Prefecture, across the Tsugaru Strait on northern Honshu.

At Sounkyo in Hokkaido's highlands, wind drives snow across the landscape and sharply reduces visibility. A local reporter describes the biting cold when gusts strike her face. In Sapporo, pedestrians have brought out thick winter clothing as snow reaches the city streets.

Across the strait, vehicles struggle to climb mountain roads in Aomori Prefecture before stopping. The report says Sukayu received 22 centimeters of snow, while lower-lying Aomori city recorded its first October snowfall in 16 years. One resident recalls that people had still been complaining about the heat only days earlier.

The timing is not equally unusual everywhere shown. YTN notes that Biei generally sees its first snow around mid-to-late October. Its closing images capture that brief overlap of seasons at the Blue Pond, where snow rests on leaves that have not yet lost their autumn color.