File:Japan 01162023 (MODIS).jpg

English: After several days under clouds and snow, the sun shone over central Honshu Island, Japan on January 11, 2023. On that same day, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite acquired a true-color image of the Japanese Alps covered in freshly-fallen snow, while banks of cloud sit over the Sea of Japan (East Sea) and the North Pacific Ocean.

After several snowfalls in December, most of the ski resorts on Honshu are operating on a full schedule. Lower-elevation foothills and the coastal plains remain snow-free in this image. Additional snow is expected over the next few days.

The city of Tokyo, the largest city and capital of Japan, can be seen as a large area of gray pixels along the western coast of Tokyo Bay. Part of Boso Peninsula, which forms the eastern boundary of Tokyo Bay, is hidden under cloud. To the west of Tokyo and north of the Izo Peninsula, snow and cloud cover Mt. Fuji, Japan’s iconic volcano. Although still considered an active volcanic, the last eruption of Mt. Fuji occurred on December 16, 1707.