Kouhei Fukuda -- Tenkuu no Shiro（天空の城）

 

I've read that there is a castle in Japan whose altitude is high enough that it can be seen above the cloud layer. Well, as it turns out, there are six such castles including this one above at 353 metres above sea level, the ruins of Takeda Castle in Hyogo Prefecture as shown by YouTuber Japan Experiences. These castles or what remains of them seem to float above the ocean of fluffy clouds.

(shortened version)

Of course, that tourist site is what came to mind when I first heard enka singer Kouhei Fukuda's（福田こうへい）latest single last night on "Uta Con"（うたコン）. "Tenkuu no Shiro" (Castle in the Sky) was released just last month, and though the lyrics by Toyohisa Araki（荒木とよひさ）don't specify any particular castle among the six, Hideo Mizumori's（水森英夫）melody is appropriately grand and magical for Fukuda. Samurai may no longer exist but I can imagine them occupying their proud castle as seeming shipmates protecting their vessel from attack as it floats on a sea of white.