Incredible, courteous staff and a memorable experience despite the adverse weather! I had an exceptional experience with the Osaka hot air balloon team, despite some very challenging weather. My original flight was cancelled yesterday due to strong winds, so I rebooked for 11:00 AM this morning. There were only three passengers on our flight, which ended up being the very first flight to take off in three days due to consecutive weather cancellations. The staff were wonderfully welcoming and genuinely delighted to learn that I had traveled all the way from Hong Kong. After testing the conditions, they decided it was safe enough to try. Note for future travelers: they do not provide raincoats and umbrellas are not allowed for safety reasons, so definitely bring a good waterproof jacket if it looks overcast! We rose to 100 meters, but once we were up there, the wind and rain began to intensify. Safety clearly comes first for this team—the female staff member (who speaks good English) made the professional call to descend early as the winds grew too strong. We were in the air for about 12 minutes. Right after we landed, they decided to cancel the rest of the day's flights for safety. To my surprise, they proactively offered me a full refund of ¥4,000 since the flight had to be cut short. I found this to be incredibly fair and reasonable given the circumstances. The entire team is extremely courteous, professional, and handled a tough weather situation appropriately. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to fly! I highly recommend this experience if you are visiting Osaka—just keep an eye on the weather contingency!

A helium balloon from where you can see the keyhole shapes Kofun below in good weather. At night it is also illuminated that looks like a big moon.

This is a stunning event, am glad that I could make a reservation, but you can try walk-in. Very friendly staff and view is amazing!

Ride reservations can be cancelled easily due to winds. Be sure to check the website before you start traveling there, in case they have announced that the days rides have been cancelled.

First, let me say this with certainty. In the end, you do have to leave it up to luck, but as long as you prepare properly in advance, there's a high chance a wonderful experience you can't get anywhere else awaits you. Looking at the reviews, people say it's easily affected by the weather and often suspended, or that the wait is long, but even with all that in mind, you should definitely make a reservation. You can book online from midnight (00:00) 10 days before the day you ride. First, you need to register on the reservation site in advance. Then, as soon as reservations open, book right away. You'll also need to enter details like the passengers' addresses. I was able to book by 00:03. Partly because it was a three-day weekend, reservations filled up within a few hours. As for the reservation time, it operates from 10:00, so I recommend booking as early a slot as possible. I booked for 10:00. It depends on the weather that day, but the wind tends to get stronger as the day goes on. If the wind at 30 m altitude blows at 8 m per second or more, operations are suspended. Even if the wind is weak on the ground, it can be strong up above. Also, in summer, there's a chance of thunder and rain in the afternoon. Those also lead to suspension. As for equipment trouble, if it's first thing in the morning, the chances are low. Even if you can't get a reservation, same-day registration is available, so go there first thing in the morning. Once you've booked, all you can do is leave it up to luck. You can check the operating status on the website. In my case, operations were suspended due to strong winds 6 days and 5 days before, but they were running from 4 days before. There was also a day when they stopped partway through due to thunder in the evening. Now, on the day itself, the weather was sunny with light wind, and I arrived 30 minutes early and waited. After a test flight, they decided to operate. Every now and then a slightly stronger wind blew, but it was no problem. After watching an explanatory video, we boarded. The gondola is donut-shaped and apparently holds up to 30 people, but there were 8 of us on mine. Maybe because there was a bit of wind and it was the first flight of the day. It seems they took more people on the following flights. There's only one wire supporting the gondola from below, but it seems to be a sturdy steel one, and by letting it out, the balloon rises. As it gradually rises, Emperor Nintoku's Tomb (current official name: Daisen-ryo Kofun) comes into view. You can also see many of the Mozu Kofun Group and even the cities of Osaka and Sakai — a breathtaking view. It rises to 100 m, so you look down on Emperor Nintoku's Tomb diagonally from above, but I guess that's the limit. Even so, you can grasp its overwhelming size. Some reviews say the ride is uncomfortable, but although it sways slightly, it wasn't that bad. The comfortable aerial stroll lasted maybe about 10 minutes. I got off the gondola feeling very reluctant to leave. Actually, my ancestors were a clan that made haniwa and earthenware, and even designed and built kofun. So when I learned about this Sakai Balloon, I really wanted to see the kofun group from above. That wish came true, and I was deeply moved to feel firsthand that my ancestors built something so amazing. I'm grateful to the people who made such a wonderful activity possible. I hope you'll all follow my advice and have a wonderful experience too. Have a good trip‼️