The sea of clouds in Aso’s caldera is one of the best views, if not the best, you can enjoy in the area. I had the chance to be able to see it numerous times on my way to work when I still lived outside Aso. The image of this white sea filling the caldera with the sun rising in the background is just amazing.
Nevertheless, this is not a phenomenon you can witness everyday. Some locals are able to predict it a few days before it happens but we’re talking about only a few people in all Aso. There is also a website that gives you the probability of a sea of clouds appearing but it is only for week ends and it is not very accurate. You can find this website via this link: https://www.mitsubishi-motors.co.jp/special/weekend-explorer/unkai/20.html
Some will tell you that winter is the best season to witness a sea of clouds in Aso but others will tell you that you just have to be lucky whatever the season.
There are several places from where you can see the sea of clouds and the most famous one is the Daikanbou viewpoint. But almost every viewpoint on the edge of the caldera will give you a beautiful view.
It is also possible to see it live from your couch thanks to live cameras such as the one available on the following website: https://visitaso.com/ (the view from the Daikanbou is the third stream from the top). You can also check their website for very interesting articles in English about the area.
Since most of the pictures I took myself where only taken from a place called Futae no Tougei I also added to this blog entry some free of rights pictures from the following websites: http://photo.kumamoto.jp/ and https://kumamoto.guide/en/.
Finally you can also the video below. I already shared it on our social networks and the sea of clouds wasn’t that thick on that day but it still gives you a good idea of what to expect.
Franck.
