Okuetsu

Echizen Ono Castle

The Rare Sight of Eastern Fukui’s “Castle in the Sky”

Echizen Ono Castle has risen to international fame in recent years, for a unique weather phenomenon. The castle sits about 250 meters up, on a small mountain surrounded by the city of Ono. On some mornings from late autumn through spring, when the weather conditions are just right, a thick fog covers the city and the castle rises above it—the “castle in the sky,” as some call it. Dedicated photographers have even found spots in the surrounding mountains for the perfect photos of the castle, surrounded by a sea of clouds.

Echizen Ono Castle was originally built in 1580, and rebuilt in 1968 as a museum. The current structure sits on the stone base of the original castle.