Clouds, as meteorological phenomena, can be seen all over the world, as everyone knows. Naturally, riding on top of a cloud is impossible.

  However, in Chinese mythology and Taoist thought, there is an image of appearing while riding on clouds. In Japanese creative works, this image has been strongly inherited; some portray palaces built upon the clouds, where they live and gaze down at the world below through breaks in them.

  As a well-known and easy-to-visualize example, I think of the Skypiea Arc in One Piece. Whether Eiichiro Oda drew inspiration from these ideas is unknown, but it feels as though he expanded this setting on a grand scale. Incidentally, my favorite character in One Piece is Enel.

  Now then, when asked to name a famous character who rides on clouds, many people would probably answer “Son Goku,” wouldn’t they?

  Today, this character Sun Goku is extremely famous as the protagonist of Dragon Ball, but his origin lies in Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China.

  In Japan, this work is quite well known and has been published as children’s literature, and there are also many characters modeled after Sun Goku. He is sometimes referred to by another name, “Great Sage Equal to Heaven,” and appears in many works under that name as well. In some works, he even takes the form of a woman.

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  If one can ride on a cloud, then one can also hold it in one’s hands.

  And if one can hold it――then of course, one can eat it as well.

  In Japan, when a character who can fly feels hungry, there are occasional scenes of them tearing off pieces of a cloud and eating it, but I have never seen it portrayed as something delicious.

  In a slightly more fairy-tale-like setting, there may be cases where it is eaten as cotton candy.

  Returning to reality, it seems that people in the past in Japan sensed the seasons by looking at the clouds.

  I think there are fewer people today who feel that much from them, but even so, when we see towering cumulus clouds, we think, “Summer has arrived.”

  As Japanese viewers, when towering cumulus clouds appear in a single scene of an anime or drama, we recognize that it is set in summer—but how is it in your country?

  I sometimes worry that it might be taken as a meaningless shot.

  Writing this reminded me that I read Journey to the West as a children’s book, but I have never read the original.

  I thought I might take this opportunity to read it.

  So, those were some thoughts about clouds.

  After reading this, you might be able to ride on a cloud in your dreams.

  If you do, please enjoy a comfortable journey through the sky.

  As for me, I am not good with heights, so I will pass.

  Until next time, beneath some cloud somewhere.

  Upcoming Releases

  Main story: "Two in the Abandoned House"

  ?Epi.14-1 to 14-2: March 3 at 8:00 PM (PST).

  ?Epi.14-3 to 14-4: March 6 at 8:00 PM (PST).

  ?Epi.14-EX & Author's Note: March 10 at 8:00 PM (PST).

  Update Schedule & Related Links

  : Contains the full update schedule and all related links.

  : Get early access and support the project here.

  : Read the Japanese version here

  Feel free to leave a comment or question—I'd love to hear your thoughts.