Hokkaido & Beyond: Birding & Wildlife Winter Photography Tour

Fuji Five Lakes is the name of an area in Yamanashi prefecture, at the base of Mount Fuji. It is a charming area full of hills and dominated by five lovely lakes created when Mount Fuji erupted long ago, which are called Lake Kawaguchiko, Lake Saiko, Lake Shojiko, Lake Motosuko, and Lake Yamanakako. Lake Kawaguchiko is by far the most developed of the lakes, with such attractions as a hot spring town and even an amusement park called Fuji-Q Highland located nearby. Lake Yamanakako is the largest and has some beautiful views of Mount Fuji. Lake Motosuko is especially lovely in the spring with the blooming of the Fuji Shibazakura or "phlox moss", which looks like a beautiful pink and white carpet covering the grass. Lake Saiko has the nearby town of Iyashi no Sato, which preserves many buildings in a traditional Edo-era style. And finally, Lake Sojiko, the smallest lake, is a popular lake for camping and water sports. There is abundant natural beauty in the Five Lakes region, home to a variety of wildlife and wild birds, and truly spectacular opportunities to view the sacred mountain from numerous angles, and its close proximity to Tokyo makes it the perfect location for a trip away from the bustling capital city.

Matsumoto is home to one of Japan’s four National Treasure Castles, the Matsumoto Castle. This castle is one of the most beautiful, and complete original castles in all of Japan compared to the other four National Treasure Castles. During the spring season, Matsumoto Castel is a very popular location to view the cherry blossoms.

The Hokusai Museum features some of the works by Katsushika Hokusai, a famous ukiyo-e painter from the Edo Period. Hokusai is best known for his woodblock series known as “Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji.” Included in this series is the “Great Wave off Kanagawa” that has gained worldwide fame. The museum was built in honor of the time Hokusai spent towards the end of his life as a guest of Takai Kozan, a wealthy salt merchant in Obuse. The Hokusai Museum can be found in the center town and features two festive floats where the ceilings were decorated by Hokusai. A dragon with his signature waves is in one of the floats while the other dons a phoenix with the iconic waves design. At the Ganshoin Temple a Chinese style phoenix mural was painted by Hokusai in his final year. The incredible detail on the red mythical bird is a sight that should not be missed.

Probably one of the most famous monkey parks in the Japan and in the world is the Jigokudani Monkey Park. The park hosts a number of Japanese Macaques (also known as the snow monkeys), and many visitors can observe them up close. There is one large hot spring pool where the monkeys gather, but visitors can still see many groups on the walk over to the pool. Guests are not allowed to touch or feed the monkeys for their own safety.

The shinkansen (or Japan’s bullet train) is a high speed train that travel between most of the major cities in Japan. Travelers can reserve seats on either ordinary or green car seats for an added cost. The shinkansen can run up to 320 kilometers per hour (close to 200 miles per hour), and are known to always be on time, comfortable and safe.

Tsurumidai is a large grass field in Tsurui where the red- crowned cranes come to feed. While these stunning birds live in Hokkaido all year round, Tsurumidai is one of the best locations to view a lot of them in one place. In winter between January and February, the ground is covered heavy snow and so the cranes - sometimes a hundred or more at a time - come to pick what loose grains of rice or grass seeds they can out of the snow. Aside from the crane feeding area, the field at Tsurumidai is fairly minimal, with nearby restaurant and parking lot for tour buses. This is a must-visit location for wildlife or birding photographers looking for the best places to photograph of the iconic Japanese bird.

The Tsurui Ito Tancho Crane Sanctuary is a designated feeding ground in Tsurui for the red-crowned cranes by the Wild Bird Society of Japan. Once thought be extinct, the cranes were rediscovered leading to the establishment of the crane sanctuary with the intent of protecting these national treasures. The sanctuary really comes to life in the winter when the cranes fly from roosting grounds around the village of Tsurui to land in the sanctuary's main field to feed. They usually feed during the middle of the day, then head back to their roosting ground at night. Tsurui Ito Crane Sanctuary is an absolute must-visit in winter for bird lovers and wildlife photographers.

Otawa Bridge is a winter roosting ground for the red- crowned cranes (known locally as "Tancho") in the village of Tsurui, Hokkaido prefecture. Tsurui is a haven for the beautiful cranes during the winter, and while sites like Tsurumidai and Tsurui Ito Tancho Crane Sanctuary are where they go to feed during the day, the river beneath Otawa bridge is the place they go to rest in the evening. It is essential to arrive there early in the morning, as the cranes are usually gone to feed shortly after sunrise. The bridge is the ideal place to view and photograph the cranes, as they can be observed without disturbing them. Otawa Bridge promotes a code of courtesy among the early morning visitors so as not to scare the birds.

Lake Kussharo is the largest caldera lake in Akan-Mashu National Park in Japan's Hokkaido Prefecture.While the lake is visited in the warmer months for various park activities, as well as access to the lake's hot spring baths, the winter months attract bird-lovers to Lake Kussharo to witness the gorgeous whooper swan, which stops to rest and feed at the half-frozen lake on their migration path. One of the best places to view these beautiful birds is at Lake Kussharo Kotan, one of the lake's numerous hot springs, where groups of the swans can be seen floating on the lake and walking along the shore or on the frozen parts of the lake.

Mount Iou is one of the many volcanoes in the Akan Volcanic Complex - a series of volcanoes in Akan-Mashu National Park. The name of the mountain translates to "Mount Sulfur", and is almost constantly streaming out a wispy billow of volcanic gases. While it is one of the smaller mountains in the park there is an easy hiking trail heading from Kawayu Onsen up towards the summit. Along the way, visitors can enjoy the splendid natural beauty of the area, including conifers, Japanese stone pines, and other mountain flora, and are rewarded at the end by a view of the smoke-wreathed mountain.

One of the best reasons for visitors (especially nature lovers) to visit this sandbar at the end of Hokkaido is to search for the Ezo Deer and Hokkaido Fox. The beautiful Ezo deer is a subspecies of the Japanese sika deer, and one of the largest of its type. While walking the Notsuke Peninsula, you may see these creatures browsing for grass along the coast. The Hokkaido Fox, also called the Ezo red fox or "Kitakitsune" is an adorable little fox with cute black-tipped ears and may be seen playfully walking along the Notsuke sandbar. The Japanese government protects this habitat for them, so while seeing and photographing these delightful creatures at Notsuke is permitted, they strongly insist visitors do their part to preserve this special environment.

The magnificent Blakiston's Fish Owl is a large Asian Owl that can lives across Japan and northeastern Asia. In Japan, the only place to see them is in Hokkaido. Certainly the largest owl in Japan, and by some accounts the largest owl in the world, Blakiston's Fish Owl is considered a sacred guardian by the indigenous Ainu people. For bird- watchers traveling to Japan, catching a glimpse of this rare owl is a must, a good place to go looking is in Rausu at night. This owl can be seen across the Shiretoko Peninsula, but especially at Rausu's Washi-no-Yado. These creatures are usually found living near water as their favorite food to catch is fish.

The region of Rausu is a part of the UNESCO Heritage Shiretoko Peninsula, and one of the most beautiful nature locations in Japan. Because it is protected as a nature and wildlife preserve (and also because traversing the landscape is difficult, much of the peninsula is only accessible by special permit. So the best way to view the beauty of Rausu is by a refreshing nature cruise along the coast. In winter, the chief reason to take the cruise is the chance to see the countless sea birds in the area - foremost among them being the magnificent Steller's Sea Eagle. A broad array of gulls, ducks, and other waterfowl can also be admired and photographed around the cruise boat.

Aidomari is a charming hot spring town located on the beautiful Shiretoko Peninsula. As the furthest point of the Peninsula which is accessible by car, Aidomari attracts visitors who enjoy hiking the area as well as birding enthusiasts admiring the various birds in Hokkaido. In late winter, the hot spring town is a prime spot for viewing the wild sea birds of Shiretoko - looking out from the coast can include views of the brightly-colored Harlequin Duck. Other various waterfowl of the region including common and slaty-backed gulls, black scoters and cormorants, which can also be seen on the sea along the shores near Aidomari.

While many birds can be seen over Nemuro and Lake Furen, taking a Nemuro nature cruise off the coast is really the best way to view a variety of sea birds. Birdwatchers know that winter in Hokkaido is the time to see the spectacular Steller's Sea Eagle and White-Tailed Eagle, but there are countless other sea birds and waterfowl to be enjoyed. Gulls of various types are a common sea bird there, but a broad array of grebes, long-tailed and harlequin ducks, lesser and greater scaups, scoters, northern shovelers - even the dainty white Whooper swan may be seen floating in the waters off Nemuro.

Near the town of Nemuro is Lake Furen, a brackish lake divided from the Nemuro Strait by a row of sandbars called "Shunkunitai", covered in a forest of Sakhalin Spruce trees. Out on the lake or flying over the the Shunkunitai's overgrowth, visitors can see the massive Steller's Sea Eagle - one of the largest eagles in the world, as well as the distinctive White-Tailed Eagle. And for birdwatchers visiting Japan, large flocks of these magnificent birds descending on the lake is a sight that should not be missed. As a Wild Bird Sanctuary, other birds have been seen flying out over Shunkunitai, including swans, cranes, and woodpeckers.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro is located 3 minutes by foot from Ikebukuro Station, a massive terminal with eight different subway and JR lines. From the station, over 17 round trip buses depart to both Narita and Haneda International Airports each day, assuring convenience for guests arriving by or planning to make a transfer by air. When setting off from the hotel, guests can easily reach popular attractions such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and Ikebukuro Café, a unique space where visitors can play with owls and other animals.

Overlooking Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchi, Fuji View Hotel offers spacious accommodations surrounded by gorgeous Japanese gardens with lush greenery and cherry trees. The on-site hot springs public bath was renovated and reopened in March 2018. Guests can unwind in indoor and outdoor hot spring baths. Free WiFi is provided at the lobby. The hotel offers free shuttles to/from Kawaguchiko Train Station, a 10-minute ride away. All rooms are nonsmoking rooms and are equipped with a flat-screen TV, a fridge and a telephone. Large windows provide great views of either Mount Fuji or the lake. The private bathroom comes with a hairdryer and free toiletries. Some rooms feature tatami (woven-straw) flooring and traditional futon bedding.

Issanokomichi Biyunoyado is built at the heights in the old hot springs town of Yudanaka where hike poet Issa Kobayashi loved. Northern Alps can be seen in a distance and Hokushin five mountains are viewed closely. The hot spring is 100% natural spring and always flowing to heal a tired body.

Hotel Metropolitan Tokyo Ikebukuro is located 3 minutes by foot from Ikebukuro Station, a massive terminal with eight different subway and JR lines. From the station, over 17 round trip buses depart to both Narita and Haneda International Airports each day, assuring convenience for guests arriving by or planning to make a transfer by air. When setting off from the hotel, guests can easily reach popular attractions such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and Ikebukuro Café, a unique space where visitors can play with owls and other animals.

Lying adjacent to the Kushiro's Fisherman's Wharf, the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro is the largest hotel in its area and a favorite amongst many who visit the city on the east coast of Hokkaido. A stay promises a memorable experience with the high quality of service and elegance that is synonymous with the ANA chain of hotels.

Hotel Green Park Tsurui is located in Tsurui and takes about 50 minute by car from JR Kushiro Station, near Tsurui Onsen and Tsurui, Ito Crane Sanctuary. Free WiFi is available in each guest room. Yukata are available for guests to wear during their stay. Guests may borrow humidifiers and trouser pressers at no additional charge (please inquire at the front desk for details). Facilities include a coin laundry, a communal bath, an open-air bath and a sauna. The hotel possesses 22 guest rooms.

Surrounded by nature, Kawayu Onsen Kawayu Kanko Hotel is ideal for leisure. This hotel features a cafe, a bar, and a banquet hall. Guests can enjoy a relaxing soak in the recently renovated large common baths and open air baths. Japanese cuisine including locally sourced beef and crab is served. Both Japanese and Western Japanese style guest rooms with tatami mat floors are available. Guest rooms are equipped with TVs, refrigerators, safes, and tea sets. Internet is available in all guest rooms.

Offering sea facing guest rooms that overlook Kunashiri island, serve dishes using fresh seafoods and local Hokkaido ingredients.

Hotel Nemuro Kaiyotei is located in Nemuro and about 7 minutes walk from Nemuro Station, near Kitahara-Gensei Flower Park. Free WiFi and LAN internet is available in each room. Guests may borrow conveniences such as irons and humidifiers at no additional charge (please inquire at the front desk for details). Facilities include a sauna, a communal bath, and a PC corner. A restaurant offering Japanese cuisine is available. The hotel possesses 28 rooms.

Lying adjacent to the Kushiro's Fisherman's Wharf, the ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Kushiro is the largest hotel in its area and a favorite amongst many who visit the city on the east coast of Hokkaido. A stay promises a memorable experience with the high quality of service and elegance that is synonymous with the ANA chain of hotels.