Photo= Hot-air balloons soaring in an early morning, clear blue sky (6:20 a.m., July 25, at the ground in front of Lake Biwa Museum, Oroshimo-cho, Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture)

Many people are enjoying an aerial walk from early in the morning as hot-air balloon rides have begun on the Karasuma Peninsula, Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture.

The event was planned by the executive committee for the Kusatsu hot-air balloon ride project, which was created by the city's association for tourism and products and others. This is the event's sixth year. The rides started on July 24 and starting from 6:00 a.m. on July 25, the second day, approximately 100 people experienced rides.

The participants enjoyed the view of mountains surrounding the Lake Biwa and the lotus colony from the gondolas 20 to 30 meters above the ground. A visitor from Kusatsu City said, "I was surprised at how it wafted through the air. I was also surprised at the noise and heat of the burner."

The event will take place on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays until August 10. The rides are available from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. It will be canceled in the case of unstable air currents. There is a fee. For more information, call the city's association for tourism and products, 077-566-3219.