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View the Red-Crowned Cranes in Kushiro Shitsugen National Park in East Hokkaido
Kushiro Tourism & Convention Association
The red-crowned cranes are an iconic protected Japanese species that live in Kushiro Shitsugen National Park in East Hokkaido.
Once reduced to a population of around a dozen, the red-crowned crane became endangered as a result of indiscriminate hunting. Thanks to the conservation efforts of neighboring residents, however, the population has increased, and the red-crowned crane was designated as a Special Natural Monument in 1952. Currently, approximately 1,800 red-crowned cranes live in East Hokkaido throughout the year. The largest bird in Japan, red-crowned cranes are regarded as birds of love, since once they have found a mate, they remain in pairs for the rest of their lives and cooperate in bringing up their offspring.
Akan International Crane Center (Grus) is Japan’s only facility engaging in red-crowned crane research, education, and protection. The facility contains exhibits featuring commentary, and red-crowned cranes can be viewed there all year round in a semi-natural outdoor environment.
During the November – March artificial feeding period at the adjacent Observation Center, up to around 300 wild red-crowned cranes can be seen.
How to get there
Travel from Haneda Airport to New Chitose Airport by plane (1 hour 30 minutes), then take the train from New Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station (40 minutes). The park is 3 hours 50 minutes from Sapporo Station by car.
23-40 Kamiakan, Akan-cho, Kushiro-shi, Hokkaido
