Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

Kushiro Shitsugen (Kushiro Marshland) is Japan's largest wetland ecosystem, formed over 3,000-4,000 years through the gradual transformation of an ancient bay into a vast freshwater marsh. The wetland spans approximately 28,000 hectares across eastern Hokkaido, creating a unique ecosystem that has remained largely unchanged by human development. The indigenous Ainu people knew these wetlands well, hunting and fishing along their edges while respecting the sacred landscape.

The marshland gained international attention as the critical habitat for tancho (red-crowned cranes), one of the world's rarest and most elegant birds. These sacred cranes, revered in Japanese and East Asian culture as symbols of longevity and good fortune, nearly faced extinction in the early 20th century. Conservation efforts beginning in the 1950s, including winter feeding programs and habitat protection, brought the population back from the brink - one of Asia's great conservation success stories.

In 1980, Kushiro Shitsugen became Japan's first wetland to be protected as a national park, and in 1987 it was designated as a Ramsar Convention Wetland of International Importance. The park protects not only the cranes but an entire ecosystem including rare plants, fish, and bird species found nowhere else. Today, the wetland represents a pristine natural environment where visitors can experience the raw beauty of Hokkaido's wilderness and witness the elegant dance of the red-crowned cranes.