Top-page Inquiry Trip reports Check list News Links Birdwatching Spots Hokkaido Regeon Tohoku Regeon Kou-Shin-Etsu Regeon Northern-Kanto Regeon Southern-Kanto Regeon Tokyo Regeon Izu Islands Ogasawara Islands Izu-Hakone- Fuji Regeon Tokai Regeon Hokuriku Regeon Kansai Regeon Chugoku Regeon Shikoku Regeon Kyushu Regeon Okinawa Regeon Cruise - Over 400 popular birding sites in all over Japan are listed in this page. - The environment, the time required for birding (the traveling time to the site is not included), the birds expected and the visit proper season of each site are briefly described. - You can also check the location of the site in Googl Map. Please click Google-Map in the descriptions. On the Google Map, search the site with the number (i.e,: D6-1 for Watarase Retarding Basin). - The details of the sites can be checked on the linked websites (including Japanese sites). A) Hokkaido Regeon Google-Map West-Northern Part of Hokkaido A1-1 Sarobetsu Plain (Sarobetsu Gen-ya) - Magnificent wetland extending at the mouth of Sarobetsu River, a part of the northernmost national park in Japan - 1-2 days - summer birdss - Best season: May to Sep. A1-2 Kabutonuma Park (Kabutonuma-Koen) - Forest and lake, a part of the northernmost national park in Japan. - 0.5 day - summer birds - Best season: May to Sep. A2-1 Teuri Island (Teuri-Tou) - National Natural Treasure in Japan, the breeding ground for around a million sea-birds; Common Murre, Spectacled Guillemot, Rhinoceros Auklet and Black-tailed Gull . - 1-2 days (*depending on the ship schedule) - the breeding sea-birds or the migrating birds in springa and autumn - Best season: Apr. to Sep. A3-1 Mt. Asahi (Asahi-Dake) - Mountain in Daisetsu-zan National Park at the center of Hokkaido. - 1 day - highland birds - Best season: June to Sep. A3-2 Shunkou-dai Park (Shunkou-dai-Koen) - Trails in the forest park - 0.5 day - forest birds - Best season: Dec. to June A3-3 Mt. Hokurei (Hokurei-San) - Forest road to the mountain. - 0.5 day - summer forest birds - Best season: May to July East-Northern Part of Hokkaido A4-1 Wakka Wild Flower Park (Wakka Gensei-Kaen) - The biggest seaside grassland in Japan extending between the Sea of Okhotsk and Lake Saromaa. - 0.5-1 day - summer birds in grass land - Best season: May to Sep. A4-2 Lake Komuke (Komuke-Ko) - Brackish water lake and forest. - 0.5 day - migrating or wintering waterfowl and forest birds - Best season: all year around A4-3 Omusaro Wild Flower Garden (Omusaro Gensei-Kaen) - seaside grassland - 0.5 day - summer birds in grass land - Best season: May to Nov. A4-4 Okhotsk Forest Park (Okhotsk Shinrin-Koen) - trails in the forest around Mt. Oyama (300m) - 0.5 day - summer or winter birds in forest - Best season: May to Sep. A5-1 Tofutsu Lake (Tofutsu-Ko) - Wetland listed as Ramsar site, Whooper swans from Siberia winter here. - 0.5 day - waterfowls - Best season: Oct. to April A5-2 Koshimizu Wild Flower Park (Koshimizu Gensei-Kaen) - Seaside grassland - 0.5 day - grassland birds - Best season: May to Sep. A5-3 Yobito Birdwatching Trail (Yobito Tancho-Yuhodo) - Forest adjacent to the Lake Abashiri. - 0.5 day - summer forest and water birds - Best season: Apr. to July North-Eastern Part of Hokkaido A6-1 Shari Port (Shari-Kou) - Port facing to Okhotsk Sea where rare seabirds such as Ross's Gulls appear. - 0.5 day - sea birds - Best season: Dec. to Jan. before covering by drift ice A6-2 Shiretoko National Park (Shiretoko Kokuritsu-Koen) - Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido whith rich wildlives. - 1-2 days - summer, winter, and sea birds. - Best season: whole year. A6-3 Shiretoko Pass (Shiretoko-Toge) - Pass (738m) at the south-western face of Mt. Rausu Mountain Shiretoko Peninsula. - 0.5 day - highland birds - Best season: June to Sep. A7-1 Washi-no-Yado - Traditional Japanese inn run by a family in Rausu that offers visitors the chance to photograph wild Blakiston’s Fish Owls - 1 night 2 days - Blakiston's Fish Owl - Best season: April to Oct. A7-2 Shiretoko Nature Cruise - Tour boat from the port of Rausu - 1-2 days (*depending on the ship schedule) - seabirds -Best season: April to Oct. Southern Part of Hokkaido A8-1 Oketo Area -Natural forests around Lake Otoke. -1 day -summer birds -Best season: May to Sep. A8-2 Chimikeppu Lake (Chimikeppu-Ko) -Forest around Chimikeppu Lake. -0.5 day -summer forest birds -Best season: May to Sep. A9-1 Notsuke Peninsula (Notsuke-Hanto) - the biggest sand spit in Japan - 0.5 day - winter birds and shorebirds - Best season: Nov. to April A10-1 Cape Nosattspu (Nosattspu-Misaki) - Cape located where the waters from the Pacific Ocean meet those from the Sea of Okhotsk. Red-faced Cormorant inhabits here. - 0.5 day - seabirds - Best season: Nov. to April A11-1 Ochiishi Nature Cruise - birding on the fishing boat around Yururi Island. - 0.5 day - sea birds - Best season: all year around A12-1 Shunkunitai Wild Bird Sanctuary (Shunkunitai Gensei-Yacho-Koen) - Sandbank that lies between the Sea of Okhotsk and Lake Furen-Ko which composed of seashore, grass fields, wetlands and mudflats. - 1 day - summer or winter birds, especially Steller's Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles in winter. - Best season: Nov. to July A13-1 Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary, Kushiro Wetland (Tsurui Tancho Sanctuary, Kushiro-Shitsugen) - The largest wetland in Japan which extendsto the north of Kushiro City in eastern Hokkaido. - 0.5-1 day - Red-crowned Crane (Grus japonensis) and birds in wetland. - Best season: Oct.to Mar. A14-1 Tokachi River (Tokachi-Gawa) -Lower reaches of river, marsh with ox-bow lakes, and farm field where approx. 5,000 geese stop over on the way of spring and autumn migration. - 1 day - birds in grass field like Japanese crane, migrating geese and swans. - Best season: Oct. to Nov,, March to Apr. Western Part of Hokkaido A15-1 Miyajima Marsh (Miyajima-Numa) - Marsh, Ramsar Convention Site, the largest and northernmost place of temporary residence for waterfowl; Bean Goose, Bewick's Swan and White-fronted Goose. - 0.5-1 day - migrating waterfowl - Best season: April to May A16-1 Nopporo Forest Park (Nopporo Shinrin-Koen) - Forest park, approximately 80% of the park is a national forest and wildlife sanctuary, where 140 species of birds live. - 0.5-1 day - summer or winter forest birds - Best season: April to July, Oct. to Nov. A17-1 Lake Utonai Sanctuary (Utonai-Ko Sanctuary) - Fresh water lake - 1 day - summer or migrating birds. - Best season: Mar. to Sep. A17-2 Lake Shikotsu (Shikotsu-Ko) - Natural forests near Lake Shikotsu. - 0.5 day - summer forest birds - Best season: May to June A18-1 Mu River (Mu-Kawa) - River mouth with tidal flats and reed fields. - 0.5 day - waterfowl, raptor and migrating birds - Best season: Oct. to Apr. West-Southern Part of Hokkaido A19-1 Mt. Sokuryo (Sokuryo-Zan) - Trail to the mountain, or the top of the mountain which is the watching site (200m) of migrating birds - 0.5 day - Summer forest birds or Migrating birds - Best season: June to July, Aug. to Nov. A19-2 Osaru River (Osaru-Gawa) - River mouth - 0.5 day - Migrating shorebirds, or wintering waterfowls and raptors - Best season: Aug. to May A19-3 Usu Beach & Usu Bay (Usu-Kaigan & Usu-Wan) - Natural beach and bay - 0.5-1 day - Migrating shorebirds, or wintering waterfowls and raptors - Best season: Aug. to Oct., March to May A19-4 Date City Reclamation Memorial Museum (Date Kaitaku-Kinen-Kan) - Forests, ponds and stream - 0.5-1 day - wintering forest birds - Best season: Oct. to March South-Western Part of Hokkaido A20-1 Lake O-Numa (O-Numa) - the natural forests near Lake Onuma. - 1 day - summer or winter forest birds - Best season: Nov. to July A20-2 Yurappu River (Yurappu-Gawa) - Forests along Yurappu River - 0.5 day - Steller's Sea Eagles and White-tailed Eagles near the river, which aim salmons swimming upstream in the river. - Best season: Dec. to Feb. B) Tohoku Regeon Google-Map Northern Part of Tohoku B1-1 Hachirogata reclaimed land (Hachirogata Kantakuchi) - Wildlife Protected Wetland in a reclaimed land. It used to be the second largest brackish water lake in Japan remaining 4,564 ha of water surface set aside for water channels and flow regulation purposes. - 1-2 days - waterfowls, raptors, grass field's birds - Best season: all year around B1-2 Juniko (Twelve Lakes) (Juni-Ko) - Old-growth beech nature forests, a part of Shirakami-Sanchi, UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. - 1-2 days - summer birds in forst - Best season: April to June B1-3 Cape Tappi (Tappi-Misaki) - watching site of migrating birds at the cape - 1 day - migrating hawks - Best season: Sep. to Oct. , March to April B2-1 Mt. Hachimantai (Hachimantai) - Highland over 1,500 m, a part of Towada-Hachimantai National Park - 1-2 days - summer birds at highlands - Best season: May to July B2-2 Takamatsu Pond (Takamatsu-Ike) - Pond, one of the 100 Best Cherry Blossom Spots in all of Japan which is the home of waterfowls - 0.5 day - waterfowls - Best season: Nov. to March B2-3 Kabu Island (Kabu-Shima) - Breeding site for Black-tailed Gulls, national natural monument - 0.5 day - breeding Black-tailed Gull - Best season: April to June B2-4 Lake Ogawara & Hotoke-numa (Ogawara-Ko & Hotoke-numa) - Reclaimed land with vast reed fields beside the lake, Ramsar site - 0.5 day - breeding site of Japanese Marsh Warbler and the other birds in grass field - Best season: April to July B2-5 Tsuta Pond (Tsuta-numa) - trils in the forests around six ponds - 0.5-1 day - summer forest birds - Best season: May to July West-Southern Part of Tohoku B3-1 Tobishima Island (Tobi-Shima) - Remote island in north of the Japan sea - 2-3 days or more (*depending on the ship schedule) - migrating birds - Best season: Sep.