Floating over autumn colour: Unzen's leaves are at their peak in Nagasaki

The mountains around Unzen, in Japan's Nagasaki Prefecture, are at peak autumn colour. And the best seat in the house is a cabin hanging in the air.

The Unzen Ropeway links Nita Pass (1,040 metres) and Mount Myokendake (1,333 metres). Plenty of visitors are riding it right now, enjoying what locals call an "aerial stroll" through the season.

On Myokendake, maples and enkianthus shrubs (a bush with fiery red leaves) are turning colour. Normally the peak starts in late October. But the ropeway operator says the cold weather has arrived late for three years running, pushing the peak back to early November. The colours themselves are as good as usual.

Weather permitting, you should have about another week to enjoy them. The operator's website shows current conditions.

Got energy left after you step off the ropeway? Walk a little way up toward the summit of Myokendake. You'll see the autumn colours of Mount Fugen next to the rugged Heisei-Shinzan lava dome, a striking contrast. The Nita Pass loop road, Ikenohara and the Unzen hot spring town are colourful too.