Hokkaido: what to see on Japan’s northernmost island – 04/12/2024 – Tourism

A couple of five-foot-tall birds welcome anyone arriving at Kushiro airport, a port city east of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island.

The birds are two specimens of the Japanese crane, an elegant white bird that symbolizes immortality, although it itself almost became extinct in the region in the mid-20th century.

The couple that welcomes visitors at the airport, opening their huge white wings, is stuffed in a window, but don’t worry. In less than ten minutes by car, you can see them roaming freely through rice fields.

Cranes also appear in sculptures throughout the region, souvenirs and even on manhole covers in the city. The bird was abundant throughout Japan at the time of the shoguns, who kept some as pets and ate its meat at special events.

“The history of crane conservation is a source of pride for the people of Kushiro,” said ranger Hiroshi Yoshida of Tsurui-Ito Tancho, one of three sanctuaries in the region dedicated to the bird. “They are important for the city. There are no tourist resources other than the cranes.”

The best time to see them is in winter, between November and March, when the temperature is below zero degrees and can reach -20ºC. This is when food becomes scarce in the wetlands of Kushiro, and they begin to frequent the shrines to feed themselves.

In the 1950s, the region created a tradition of “artificial feeding” with corn grains, helping to increase the bird population and thus preventing its imminent extinction. Today, there are around 1,900 cranes resident in Japan, compared to around 30 at the time.

Grus japonensis (scientific name) is also known as the Manchurian crane or red-crowned crane due to the exposed skin on the top of the head. Famous for their curious mating dances, they also symbolize fidelity and decorate centuries-old ceramics and paintings kept in museums across the country.

Of the 15 species of cranes in the world, none live in South America. The Japanese crane is the second rarest crane in the world, behind only the American crane.

The idea of ​​feeding the birds came from Sadajiro Yamazaki, a farmer who was surprised to catch the birds, then very rare, pecking at the bags of corn he kept for his cattle. His grandchildren continue the activity and lead the Akan International Crane Center, one of Kushiro’s shrines, 20 km from the airport.

In winter, hundreds of birds descend on the center’s snow-covered fields to feed. There is a covered observation deck and an open-air observation deck, which receives 20,000 tourists a year, especially photographers. A friendly, if slightly dated, museum features faded posters and photographs, including images of pioneer Yamazaki-san.

The number of birds in sanctuaries has declined with the reduction in “artificial feeding” in recent years. The goal is to make cranes less dependent on humans and expand their habitat, although they often end up “robbing” farm stocks.

“It’s also a way to avoid large gatherings of birds in times of bird flu,” said Yoshida, whose center received 250 cranes at once this season. “But they depend on our food to get them through freezing winters. It’s an important challenge for the future to increase their habitat.”

Although it is difficult to see cranes freely outside of winter, it is not impossible. Some pairs look graceful in rice and corn fields, so you need to be careful when driving on the island’s roads. The sanctuaries also have birds in captivity, in large external cages, for an artificial breeding program if one day it becomes necessary.

Enchanted forests

Kushiro, with less than 200,000 inhabitants, is the gateway to national parks in eastern Hokkaido, with enchanted forests that look like sets from Studio Ghibli films.

Not surprisingly, the studio has a small shop in the resort of Akanko Onsen, right in front of a traditional village of the Ainu people, indigenous people whose cultures inspired characters in the animations. The village sells handicrafts, such as objects carved from wood, mainly of bears and owls, gods of the Ainu.

This Lake Akan region, part of the Akan-Mashu National Park, has hotels and restaurants, as well as the Akankohan Museum. From there, trails lead to the lake beach and small bubbling mud pools. Volcanic activity heats the hotels’ onsens (spas) and the public foot baths spread throughout the resort.

The best trail, however, is on the other side of the park, with a path covered in musk, ferns and mosses, leading from the Kawayu Eco Museum Center. The dense forest ends in an arid open field at the foot of an active volcano, Mount Io. It’s an almost idyllic setting, if it weren’t for the smell of sulfurous gases, punctuated by countless yellow fumaroles that constantly emit white clouds.

The trail takes about 60 minutes on foot (round trip), although it is possible to go by car and park very close to the mountain, next to the tourist buses, in a center with a restaurant and shop.

Without many accommodation options here, the Art Inn hotel is an attraction in itself. With just three bedrooms, each has its own private onsen. Each space was worked on by an artist, and the hotel promotes the Extreme Cold Art Festival in January and February, something suitable for a region that reaches -30ºC.

Sapporo

Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, is 300 km from Kushiro, with frequent 45-minute flights between the two cities. The closest airport to Sapporo, in Chitose, is gigantic, with a cinema, onsen and amusement parks dedicated to Hello Kitty and Doraemon.

For many adults, Sapporo is synonymous with beer and the company’s complex is worth visiting. The drink began to be manufactured in the city in 1876, as an initiative by the local government that brought in a Japanese brewmaster trained in Germany.

In October last year, you could visit the museum (free tour) and do the tasting (three beers in 250ml glasses for around R$33) without buying a ticket online, which was sold out. It seems that in summer it’s a different story and it’s better not to take any chances. Also don’t miss the Sapporo Classic, distributed only in Hokkaido and made with local ingredients.

The tasting space does not serve food, but there are three restaurants in the complex specializing in barbecue and lots of lamb. The museum is entirely in Japanese with some English translation, highlighting a wonderful collection of advertising posters, many starring geishas toasting bottles of Sapporo.

With almost 2 million inhabitants, the capital of Hokkaido resembles a charming and diminutive version of Tokyo. The crowds and the frenetic pace leave, leaving that urban atmosphere with small surprises to be discovered.

One of them was Milk Mura, an alcoholic ice cream shop hidden on the sixth floor of an office building. The decor is Parisian kitsch, and the person who serves is the owner of the place, a Japanese woman who invented a ritual for eating ice cream with a variety of syrups (matcha liqueur, rum, absinthe, etc.). You need to use a microspoon to add drops of alcohol to each spoonful of ice cream. She explains everything patiently, and at the end you just have to say “kanpai!”.