Reporting from Japan in Winter

The 2026 Japan Winter tour delivered an exceptional two weeks of winter wildlife across Kyushu and Hokkaido. Early highlights included rare Oriental Stork at Watarase, elegant Smew and Falcated Ducks at Saku Reservoir, and confiding Green Pheasants and Japanese Accentors in central Honshu. Cultural interludes such as Matsumoto Castle and the Snow Monkey Park added further dimension. 

In Kyushu, the reed beds of the Kuma River and the Yatsushiro Mudflats produced excellent waterbirding, while Izumi’s Crane Center offered one of the tour’s defining spectacles: thousands of cranes gathering at dawn. The sheer scale and sound of the flock in golden morning light was unforgettable. Coastal stops yielded Brown Boobies and the highly specialised Long-billed Plover. 

Hokkaido provided dramatic winter scenery and outstanding bird encounters. At Tsurui, iconic Red-crowned Crane danced in snowy fields. Offshore at Rausu, a memorable boat trip brought us close to magnificent Steller's Sea Eagle and White-tailed Eagle near Russian waters. An aptly named Solitary Snipe was a welcome surprise. The tour concluded in style with the long-awaited appearance of Blakiston's Fish-Owl, a magical finale to an extraordinary Japanese winter adventure defined by superb birds, fine food, and seamless travel.