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Home  /  Japan  /  Kushiro
Crane wetlands · Hokkaido, Japan

Kushiro

The winter home of the red-crowned crane — Japan's sacred dancing cranes against the snow, in the great Kushiro marsh.
Getting there
By flight from Tokyo to Kushiro, in eastern Hokkaido
Best for
Red-crowned cranes, crane dancing, winter wetlands, white-tailed eagles, photography
The land
A vast wetland and snowy farmland in eastern Hokkaido
Good to know
Kushiro's feeding stations gather red-crowned cranes for their famous winter dance
What it is
Kushiro is the winter home of the red-crowned crane — Japan's sacred dancing cranes against the snow, in the great Kushiro marsh.
The Kushiro marsh, Japan's largest wetland, is the year-round home of the red-crowned crane. In winter, the cranes gather at feeding stations, where they perform their famous courtship dance against the snow — one of the world's great wildlife-photography spectacles — with white-tailed eagles, whooper swans and Ezo deer nearby.
PhotoKushiro — crane wetlands.
The reason to come

The dancing cranes

Kushiro is the place to photograph Japan's red-crowned cranes in winter.

Crane dancing

Red-crowned cranes performing their courtship dance in the snow.

Feeding stations

Reliable gatherings of cranes for close photography.

Winter wetland

White-tailed eagles, whooper swans and Ezo deer.

Worth knowing

Japan's sacred cranes

The red-crowned crane, symbol of longevity in Japan, performs its courtship dance in the Kushiro snow — a photographer's dream.
PhotoRed-crowned cranes dancing in the snow at Kushiro.
When to come — honestly

A winter crane destination.

December – February
Best
Peak crane season — the dancing and snowy backdrops.
Year-round
Good
Cranes are resident; winter is the spectacle.
November & March
Good
Shoulder weeks with cranes and fewer photographers.
The crane dance peaks in the deep cold of December–February; dress for severe Hokkaido winter.
Context

The crane wetland

Kushiro is the winter heart of Japan's crane photography.

It opens most Hokkaido winter itineraries.

We base Kushiro for the dancing cranes, at the feeding stations and frosted river roosts.

Beyond the obvious

More to Kushiro.

PhotoCrane dancing

Crane dancing

In the snow.

PhotoFeeding stations

Feeding stations

Close crane photography.

PhotoWinter wetland

Winter wetland

Eagles and swans.

Why Wild Voyager

We time Japan's winter wildlife to the day.

Japan's winter wildlife — dancing cranes, sea eagles on the drift ice, fish owls, snow monkeys — peaks in narrow windows. We plan the route and timing and work with the best local photo specialists and lodges to put you in the right place at the right moment.

Handpicked stays

We choose the lodge and guides that fit your goals, not whatever is left.

We time it right

We build your visit around the season and the wildlife that delivers.

Journeys

Trips through Kushiro

8 Days · 7 Nights

Japan Winter Wildlife
10 Days · 9 Nights

Snow Monkeys & Winter Wildlife
9 Days · 8 Nights

Wild Hokkaido Photography
8 Days · 7 Nights

Winter Bird Photography
10 Days · 9 Nights

Hokkaido Birds & Bears
10 Days · 9 Nights

Summer Wild Hokkaido
Where to stay

Where you’ll stay in Kushiro

Signature Collection
PhotoAkan Tsuruga Besso Hinanoza
Signature

Akan Tsuruga Besso Hinanoza

A refined hot-spring ryokan at Lake Akan, the area's most luxurious stay.
Classic Collection
PhotoKushiro Prince Hotel
Classic

Kushiro Prince Hotel

A reliable city hotel in Kushiro, convenient for the crane sites.
Wildlife you may see
Birds

Plan your Kushiro trip.

Photograph the dancing cranes of Kushiro. Tell us your dates and we will build the route around it.

Plan a trip

Field notes, now and then.

Where to go · When to go · Wildlife in season

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