Tsurui

Tsurui is a small community around 30 minutes by automobile from Kushiro Airport. Despite the fact that this is relatively distant Japan, hundreds of travelers come here each year to witness one of the world's rarest birds, the red-crowned crane, which has its nesting grounds near to the hamlet.

Tsurui's spring season begins in May, when the cherry trees begin to bloom. After a long and severe winter, animals and plants spring to life. When summer arrives, the Marsh is clothed in a lush green that contrasts beautifully with the blue of the rivers that meander over its vast expanse. In the fall, the trees covering the mountains reveal their autumn leaves in a variety of magnificent colours of red and gold, while the farmers are hard at work collecting fresh harvests. Finally, winter descends on the Marsh, dumping a heavy blanket of snow on the ground. Tancho fly between their roosts and feeding sites in Tsurui.