Takeda Castle Ruins

Takeda was built from 1441 on a ridge 353 metres above the Maruyama river and abandoned around 1600, so what remains is the stonework - well-preserved dry-laid walls tracing the baileys along the whole ridge, with no buildings on them. The reason it is known is the cloud. On autumn mornings when the night has been cold and clear, the day before was warm, and the wind is still, radiation fog fills the valley below and the ridge stands out of it, which produces the image of a castle floating on a sea of cloud. The conditions are specific and do not occur most mornings; local forecasts publish the odds. The better view of the phenomenon is not from the castle but from Ritsuunkyo, a viewpoint on the opposite mountain, which means choosing which side to be on before dawn.

What you actually see

• Dry-laid stone walls - baileys traced along the whole ridge, with no buildings.
• The cloud sea - radiation fog filling the valley on specific autumn mornings.
• Ritsuunkyo - the opposite viewpoint from which the floating effect is actually seen.
• A 1441 foundation - abandoned around 1600 and left as stonework.

When to go

Late September to early December, before dawn, after a cold clear night. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The cloud sea occurs on a minority of mornings and cannot be booked. The climb is forty minutes and steep, done in the dark for sunrise. The site closes in winter and in bad weather. From the castle itself you are in the cloud rather than above it - Ritsuunkyo is the viewing side.

Nearby

Ikuno silver mine is south; Kinosaki Onsen is north.