>Snow blanketing Chihaya-Akasakamura village in Osaka Prefecture makes a striking contrast with the colorful autumn leaves on Mt. Kongo on Wednesday morning.
Due to an intensified winter atmospheric pressure pattern, this autumn's lowest temperatures were recorded in western Japan with some areas dropping below zero.
Snow capped the 1,125-meter mountain on the border of Osaka and Nara prefectures the same day, 27 days earlier than last year.
