Learn how to identify the Kushiroshitsugen wetlands' butterfly and plant inhabitants before spotting them in the wild

The Shirarutoro Nature Center is an unstaffed facility on the western shore of Lake Shirarutoro, near the Lake Shirarutoro Campsite. It has several exhibits on the plants and animals that live around the lake and wetlands, including displays with over three hundred plant and insect specimens.

The Kushiroshitsugen wetlands are a haven for butterflies, dragonflies, and flowers—around 84 different species of butterflies can be spotted here. The specimens encased in transparent resin at the nature center allow a closer look at their wing patterns and colors, so visitors can identify them while camping, hiking the Shirarutoro trail, and exploring the Butterfly Forest to the south of the nature center.

Twenty-five minutes by car to the west of the nature center are the protected Kottaro wetlands. They are a known nesting ground for endangered Japanese red-crowned cranes. Visitors may have a chance to see the red-crowned cranes in their natural habitat using the telescopes at the Kottaro Wetland's observatories in the spring and summer.