Terrace Unkai

In the Japanese resort of Tomamu, which is located on the island of Hokkaido, you can see a stunning natural phenomenon called unkai. Unkai translates from Japanese as sea of clouds. All this is due to the thermal springs of the valley, which form a huge fog overnight.

A terrace called Uncai was built at the most picturesque point, but until 2005 it was quite difficult to get here due to the fact that the terrace is located at a height of 1088 meters. It was only after the construction of the cable car that the place became very popular among the population and guests of the nearby hotel. You can get to the terrace from 4:30 a.m. to 7:00 a.m., after which the cable car stops working and the fog clears. Access to the attraction is open from mid-May to October, it is at this time that you can see the "sea of clouds", and even then not every day. The phenomenon can only be seen under suitable weather conditions, which occur with a probability of about 40%. In any case, at the ticket office of the cable car, tourists are given a postcard of how the mountains should look in the fog, which is also a ticket.

The lucky ones can admire the fog flowing smoothly through the mountains, covering the picturesque landscapes of the Hidaka and Tokachi mountains with a white veil. There is a cafe on the Uncai terrace, so you can admire the natural phenomenon on a cold morning with a cup of hot coffee.

A cable car ride will cost $20, but even that doesn't stop the flow of tourists. In total, more than 100,000 people have visited the terrace since its inception, and the number of guests sometimes reaches 2,000 per day. After morning contemplation of the fog, you can go to free yoga classes or just breathe in the fresh mountain air.