Takeda Castle Ruins seen in sea of clouds in western Japan

Detailed summary

Visitors to Asago City in the western Japanese prefecture of Hyogo were treated to a spectacular view of castle ruins appearing to float above a sea of clouds on Thursday morning.

Visitors to Asago City in the western Japanese prefecture of Hyogo were treated to a spectacular view of castle ruins appearing to float above a sea of clouds on Thursday morning.

The Takeda Castle Ruins, located on a mountaintop about 350 meters high, are known as the "castle in the sky" because they appear to float on the clouds which surround the mountain.

Temperatures in the area dropped to a low of 4.7 degrees Celsius in the morning, and nocturnal cooling caused fog to form near the ground.

Many tourists gathered at observation decks in Ritsuunkyo Gorge, located just over 2 kilometers southeast of the castle ruins, to see the view.

A university student visiting from Kobe City within the prefecture said she was happy to have been able to see the sea of clouds at its best. She said the sight of the castle floating above the clouds is one of a kind.

The sea of clouds can be seen until early December, depending on weather conditions.

Opening of the article, excerpted from NHK World. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.