Saitama: Tokyo suburb covered by ‘sea of clouds’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, December 19, 2022

CHICHIBU, Saitama Prefecture — A “sea of clouds” was observed over Chichibu City in Saitama Prefecture early Sunday morning.

When viewed from Chichibu Muse Park observatory — 360 meters above sea level — all that could be seen of the city center was the top of the 85-meter-high main tower of Chichibu Koen Hashi (Chichibu park bridge), which spans the Arakawa river.

Despite the frigid cold, which dipped below zero in the morning, many people gathered near the observatory to photograph the spectacle.

The Chichibu Basin is known as the most accessible spot from the Tokyo metropolitan area to observe such clouds. The phenomenon often occurs when fog generated by moisture on the ground is subjected to radiative cooling following overnight rain.