Rescue workers resumed their search for bodies buried in ash at the summit of Mount Ontake on Wednesday but suspended it again within hours because of bad weather.
The Sept. 27 eruption has left 56 people dead and seven missing. It was Japan's worst volcanic disaster in almost 90 years.
Snow has fell, and rain was expected later on Wednesday afternoon. There are fears that precipitation might turn the thick layer of ash and loose rocks into a sweeping mudslide.