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Rule Golden Hour

Mount Aso - Golden Hour - Kyushu

Aso, Kumamoto, Japan

That magical warm light just after sunrise or before sunset

Currently

Real-time conditions
Low Cloud Cover75%
Mid Cloud Cover100%
High Cloud Cover100%
Sun Elevation-27.6° (Astronomical night)

Upcoming Opportunities

When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.

Times shown in Asia/Tokyo
golden-hour weather icon
Next opportunity
Exceptional Golden Hour (calm) at Sunset
Mount Aso
Fri, May 29 · 18:42–19:34 · 1h window
Low confidence
28%
🌇Golden Hour Potential94.2-95%
Low Cloud Cover: 0%
Mid Cloud Cover: 0%
High Cloud Cover: 0%
Sun Elevation: 2.7° (Golden hour)
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunrise
Mount Aso
Sat, May 30 · 04:51–05:43
🌇Golden Hour Potential:95.4-97.8%
Medium
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour (calm) at Sunset
Mount Aso
Sat, May 30 · 18:42–19:35
🌇Golden Hour Potential:100%
Medium
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour (calm) at Sunrise
Mount Aso
Sun, May 31 · 04:51–05:43
🌇Golden Hour Potential:96.4-96.7%
Medium
golden-hour weather icon
Exceptional Golden Hour at Sunset
Mount Aso
Sun, May 31 · 18:43–19:35
🌇Golden Hour Potential:99.2-100%
Medium

What this forecast looks for

Plain-language explanation from the rule

This forecast identifies optimal golden hour conditions across Kyushu's volcanic landscapes, subtropical coastlines, and historic castle sites. We track cloud cover, volcanic haze, and atmospheric conditions to predict when warm light enhances the island's distinctive geothermal features.

Kyushu's southern position brings extended golden hour periods and unique light quality. Active volcanoes like Aso and Sakurajima add atmospheric haze enhancing sunrise and sunset colors. The subtropical climate creates morning mist-burn conditions where golden hour combines with lifting fog.

What makes Kyushu golden-hour photography distinctive:

  • Volcanic drama at sunrise - Mount Aso's smoking crater catching first light from caldera rim with ash plumes illuminated
  • Active volcano silhouettes - Sakurajima's erupting cone backlit against Kagoshima Bay at sunset
  • Castle golden hour - Kumamoto's reconstructed castle with curved stone walls catching warm light above modern city
  • Subtropical coastal light - Aoshima's shrine island and washboard rocks under low-angle ocean sunrise

Mount Aso provides dramatic golden hour scenes—arrive at Daikanbo viewpoint before dawn to photograph the caldera rim catching first light while crater bowl remains in shadow. Sakurajima across Kagoshima Bay works at sunrise and sunset—near-constant ash emissions create enhanced atmospheric colors. Kumamoto Castle's walls photograph beautifully in early morning light. Takachiho Gorge's basalt columns need precise timing when low sun penetrates the narrow canyon. Yufuin's rural landscape with Mount Yufu makes excellent dawn compositions. Winter provides clearer air and longer golden hour windows.

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72-hour requirements breakdown

What passed or failed, hour by hour
0matching hours in the next 80 hours
AND logic: all conditions required
Meets requirement
Misses requirement
Time
Asia/Tokyo
Golden Hour
Any
Golden Hour Potential
≥ 80.0%
Precipitation Chance
≤ 5.0%
Visibility
≥ 1000.0m
Sun, May 24
13:0021%98%24020m
14:0021%97%24052m
15:0022%97%24134m
16:0022%66%24134m
17:0027%33%24126m
18:0060%0%24102m
19:0048%0%11044m
20:0035%0%24134m
21:0019%0%24135m
22:0017%0%4216m
23:0017%0%4089m
Mon, May 25
24:0018%0%3856m
01:0021%0%4434m
02:0021%0%8854m
03:0023%0%12889m
04:0050%6.8%9333m
05:0039%14%5372m
06:0017%20%9468m
07:0025%22%24134m
08:0025%24%24135m
09:0028%26%24135m
10:0036%37%24135m
11:0034%47%24135m
12:0029%58%24135m
13:0027%60%24134m
14:0029%63%24134m
15:0026%65%23649m
16:0027%44%23827m
17:0026%22%23594m
18:0052%0%24135m
19:0057%0%24135m
20:0055%0%24134m
21:0029%0%24135m
22:0031%0%24134m
23:0028%0%24134m
Tue, May 26
24:0024%0%13319m
01:0024%0%7824m
02:0020%0%4570m
03:0019%0%4942m
04:0053%33%24135m
05:0050%67%24134m
06:0016%100%24135m
07:0021%77%24134m
08:0021%54%24134m
09:0025%31%24135m
10:0029%25%24134m
11:0035%20%24135m
12:0026%15%24134m
13:0023%24%24134m
14:0021%32%24134m
15:0021%41%24135m
16:0025%48%24134m
17:0025%54%24135m
18:0052%61%23768m
19:0049%65%24135m
20:0029%69%9023m
21:0015%74%6669m
22:0015%74%5976m
23:0015%75%6480m
Wed, May 27
24:0015%76%12769m
01:0013%82%4438m
02:0013%88%3377m
03:0013%95%3139m
04:0030%90%3318m
05:0030%85%3498m
06:006%81%3677m
07:006.8%83%5946m
08:007.2%86%8215m
09:006.8%88%10485m
10:006.2%84%8213m
11:005.8%81%5941m
12:005%77%3669m
13:005.6%81%2656m
14:005.8%84%1644m
15:005.6%88%632m
16:005.6%79%483m
17:005.6%69%333m
18:0034%60%184m
19:0041%67%1457m
20:0024%75%2730m
How to read: colored cells show whether each predicate requirement is met; highlighted rows mean the full rule matched (an opportunity).

What does Golden Hour Potential mean?

Inputs that drive the score

This derived score summarizes multiple raw weather signals. The table below shows the supporting inputs hour by hour, so you can see what's pushing the score up or down.

Time
Asia/Tokyo
Golden Hour
High Clouds
%
Low Clouds
%
Mid-Level Clouds
%
Relative Humidity
%
Total Cloud Coverage
%
Wind Speed
m/s
Sun, May 24 Sunrise 05:11 Sunset 19:13
22:00
- 100% 75% 100% 95% 100% 2.5m/s
23:00
- 100% 75% 96% 95% 100% 2.4m/s
Mon, May 25 Sunrise 05:11 Sunset 19:13
24:00
- 100% 21% 50% 95% 100% 2.4m/s
01:00
- 100% 23% 5% 98% 100% 2.4m/s
02:00
- 86% 18% 2% 98% 86% 2.3m/s
03:00
- 57% 16% 0% 98% 57% 2.7m/s
04:00
- 100% 14% 0% 98% 100% 2.6m/s
05:00
- 100% 20% 0% 98% 100% 2.6m/s
06:00
- 100% 13% 0% 96% 100% 2.5m/s
07:00
- 4% 9% 0% 90% 9% 2.5m/s
08:00
- 5% 19% 0% 76% 20% 2.5m/s
09:00
- 5% 1% 0% 68% 5% 2.7m/s
10:00
- 5% 24% 0% 61% 24% 2.5m/s
11:00
- 12% 32% 0% 56% 32% 2.5m/s
12:00
- 2% 54% 0% 52% 54% 2.1m/s
13:00
- 5% 70% 0% 49% 70% 1.9m/s
14:00
- 62% 100% 0% 49% 100% 1.3m/s
15:00
- 2% 100% 0% 69% 100% 1.8m/s
16:00
- 5% 100% 0% 79% 100% 1.1m/s
17:00
- 5% 100% 0% 83% 100% 0.5m/s
18:00
- 100% 98% 0% 87% 100% 1.6m/s
19:00
- 92% 26% 0% 90% 92% 2.1m/s
20:00
- 41% 14% 0% 94% 41% 2.2m/s
21:00
- 100% 5% 0% 96% 100% 2.5m/s
22:00
- 100% 5% 0% 97% 100% 2.6m/s
23:00
- 100% 4% 0% 97% 100% 2.6m/s
Tue, May 26 Sunrise 05:11 Sunset 19:14
24:00
- 100% 7% 0% 97% 100% 2.5m/s
01:00
- 93% 16% 0% 97% 93% 2.6m/s
02:00
- 100% 22% 0% 98% 100% 2.7m/s
03:00
- 100% 16% 0% 98% 100% 2.7m/s
04:00
- 100% 10% 0% 97% 100% 2.9m/s
05:00
- 100% 7% 0% 97% 100% 2.7m/s
06:00
- 87% 5% 0% 96% 87% 2.9m/s
07:00
- 100% 46% 5% 89% 100% 3m/s
08:00
- 100% 78% 14% 78% 100% 3.2m/s
09:00
- 100% 14% 5% 69% 100% 2.6m/s
10:00
- 100% 36% 7% 57% 100% 2.7m/s
11:00
- 100% 47% 12% 55% 100% 2.2m/s
12:00
- 100% 11% 29% 53% 100% 2.1m/s
13:00
- 100% 89% 96% 52% 100% 2.1m/s
14:00
- 100% 100% 99% 83% 100% 2.3m/s
15:00
- 100% 96% 73% 86% 100% 2m/s
16:00
- 100% 18% 8% 80% 100% 2.6m/s
17:00
- 100% 4% 100% 70% 100% 2.8m/s
18:00
- 100% 95% 100% 79% 100% 2.4m/s
19:00
- 100% 96% 100% 85% 100% 2.3m/s
20:00
- 100% 99% 100% 94% 100% 2.4m/s
21:00
- 100% 95% 100% 98% 100% 2.5m/s
22:00
- 100% 96% 100% 98% 100% 3.2m/s
23:00
- 100% 100% 100% 97% 100% 3.5m/s
Wed, May 27 Sunrise 05:10 Sunset 19:15
24:00
- 100% 94% 100% 97% 100% 3.6m/s
01:00
- 100% 100% 100% 98% 100% 3m/s
02:00
- 78% 100% 100% 98% 100% 3.7m/s
03:00
- 100% 100% 100% 97% 100% 3.6m/s
04:00
- 67% 100% 78% 97% 100% 3.5m/s
05:00
- 33% 100% 57% 97% 100% 3.5m/s
06:00
- 0% 99% 35% 97% 99% 3.4m/s
07:00
- 0% 100% 57% 97% 100% 3.3m/s
08:00
- 0% 100% 78% 96% 100% 3.2m/s
09:00
- 0% 100% 100% 95% 100% 3.1m/s
10:00
- 0% 100% 100% 96% 100% 3.1m/s
11:00
- 0% 100% 100% 96% 100% 3.1m/s
12:00
- 0% 100% 100% 97% 100% 3.1m/s
13:00
- 0% 100% 68% 97% 100% 2.8m/s
14:00
- 0% 99% 37% 98% 99% 2.6m/s
15:00
- 0% 99% 5% 98% 99% 2.4m/s
16:00
- 0% 99% 3% 98% 99% 2.2m/s
17:00
- 0% 100% 2% 98% 100% 2m/s
18:00
- 0% 100% 0% 98% 100% 1.8m/s
19:00
- 0% 100% 0% 98% 100% 1.5m/s
20:00
- 0% 100% 0% 98% 100% 1.3m/s
21:00
- 0% 100% 0% 98% 100% 1.1m/s
How to read: these inputs help produce the derived score; they are not requirements by themselves.

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