2025 Sea of Clouds Rate 60.2%! SORA terrace in Nagano to Start 2026 Green Season Operations on April 25!
Ryuoo Mountain Resort's 'SORA terrace' at 1,770m will open for its 2026 green season on April 25. Featuring a high unkai (sea of clouds) occurrence rate, a new strawberry 'Unkai Airy Parfait,' and a pet-friendly cafe, the resort offers an extraordinary mountain-top experience.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 20:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 11:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 01:44 (14h 12m after Collected)
Kitashiga Ryuoo Co., Ltd., located in Yamanouchi, Nagano Prefecture, will begin green season operations of its 'Ryuoo Mountain Resort SORA terrace' on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Simultaneously, the on-site 'SORA terrace cafe' will launch the 'Unkai Airy Parfait' featuring seasonal Nagano strawberries.
### SORA terrace: A scenic spot at 1,770m altitude
From SORA terrace in the Ryuoo Mountain Resort summit area, visitors can enjoy extraordinary views of the five peaks of Northern Shinano, the Northern Alps, and, conditions permitting, the 'sea of clouds' (unkai) and sunset. Access is provided by one of the world's largest 166-passenger ropeways (*1) for a 10-minute aerial stroll.
While many associate unkai with early morning, at SORA terrace, the probability is highest in the evening, making it a prime spot to see the orange-tinted unkai lit by the setting sun.
*1: World's largest passenger capacity for a single-deck cabin supplied by CWA (Switzerland).
### Characteristics of Unkai at SORA terrace
The surrounding mountains trap clouds easily, creating a favorable environment for encountering unkai. Even if unkai is absent during the day, decreasing temperatures towards evening often lower the cloud height, leading to higher evening occurrence rates.
In addition to temperature differences between day and night (common in morning and evening), unkai often occurs the morning after sudden rain. In the 2025 green season, the occurrence rate was 60.2% (*2). During the peak summer period (July to September), the probability exceeds 70%.
*2: Calculated by Ryuoo Mountain Resort as (days with unkai) / (total operating days).
### SORA terrace cafe: Dining in the Sky at 1,770m
A celestial cafe where guests can relax while taking in the view from 1,770m. The interior features sofas, tables, and counter seats with large windows offering majestic panoramas. The menu includes cloud-themed items and local ingredients.
### New Menu: Unkai Airy Parfait featuring Nagano Strawberries
Starting April 25, 2026, the 'Unkai Airy Parfait' will be available. It is packed with seasonal strawberries, jelly, smooth fresh cream, and milk ice cream. Layers of light cloud-like meringue and crispy sable offer changing textures with every bite. Topped with cotton candy resembling clouds, the parfait recreates the unkai landscape. Pouring the included fruit sauce melts the 'cloud' cotton candy for a theatrical experience.
### Other Attractions at Ryuoo Mountain Resort
- **Spiral Staircase to SORA:** Opened in July 2025, this 14-meter-tall observation tower at 1,770m mimics 'Jack and the Beanstalk' (*3), offering an experience of climbing into the world of the sky.
- **WANKO café:** A space where guests can enjoy views with their dogs. Features two dog runs and allows pets on the large ropeway. The summit area stays cool at an average of 18°C in summer.
- **Unkai Herb Garden:** Features approximately 600 species of flowers and herbs across 10 themed areas.
*3: 'Jack and the Beanstalk' is a registered trademark of Toki-Sekkei Co., Ltd.
### SORA terrace: A scenic spot at 1,770m altitude
From SORA terrace in the Ryuoo Mountain Resort summit area, visitors can enjoy extraordinary views of the five peaks of Northern Shinano, the Northern Alps, and, conditions permitting, the 'sea of clouds' (unkai) and sunset. Access is provided by one of the world's largest 166-passenger ropeways (*1) for a 10-minute aerial stroll.
While many associate unkai with early morning, at SORA terrace, the probability is highest in the evening, making it a prime spot to see the orange-tinted unkai lit by the setting sun.
*1: World's largest passenger capacity for a single-deck cabin supplied by CWA (Switzerland).
### Characteristics of Unkai at SORA terrace
The surrounding mountains trap clouds easily, creating a favorable environment for encountering unkai. Even if unkai is absent during the day, decreasing temperatures towards evening often lower the cloud height, leading to higher evening occurrence rates.
In addition to temperature differences between day and night (common in morning and evening), unkai often occurs the morning after sudden rain. In the 2025 green season, the occurrence rate was 60.2% (*2). During the peak summer period (July to September), the probability exceeds 70%.
*2: Calculated by Ryuoo Mountain Resort as (days with unkai) / (total operating days).
### SORA terrace cafe: Dining in the Sky at 1,770m
A celestial cafe where guests can relax while taking in the view from 1,770m. The interior features sofas, tables, and counter seats with large windows offering majestic panoramas. The menu includes cloud-themed items and local ingredients.
### New Menu: Unkai Airy Parfait featuring Nagano Strawberries
Starting April 25, 2026, the 'Unkai Airy Parfait' will be available. It is packed with seasonal strawberries, jelly, smooth fresh cream, and milk ice cream. Layers of light cloud-like meringue and crispy sable offer changing textures with every bite. Topped with cotton candy resembling clouds, the parfait recreates the unkai landscape. Pouring the included fruit sauce melts the 'cloud' cotton candy for a theatrical experience.
### Other Attractions at Ryuoo Mountain Resort
- **Spiral Staircase to SORA:** Opened in July 2025, this 14-meter-tall observation tower at 1,770m mimics 'Jack and the Beanstalk' (*3), offering an experience of climbing into the world of the sky.
- **WANKO café:** A space where guests can enjoy views with their dogs. Features two dog runs and allows pets on the large ropeway. The summit area stays cool at an average of 18°C in summer.
- **Unkai Herb Garden:** Features approximately 600 species of flowers and herbs across 10 themed areas.
*3: 'Jack and the Beanstalk' is a registered trademark of Toki-Sekkei Co., Ltd.