‘Godless’ Japanese lake warns of climate changeAFP, SUWA, JapanThe Japanese priest and his parishioners gathered before dawn, hoping that climate change had not robbed them of the chance to experience an increasingly rare communion with the sacred. Miyasaka’s predecessors noted when the entire lake surface froze, and when the miwatari appeared. “We are seeing the signs of climate change in many places of the world, and Lake Suwa is no exception,” Miyasaka said. They appear if the lake surface freezes entirely, which requires several days below minus-10°C. What is certain is that full freezes of the lake surface are now the exception rather than the rule, as they were for centuries.

Source: Taipei Times February 15, 2026 16:12 UTC