Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park (釧路湿原国立公園, Kushiro-shitsugen Kokuritsu Kōen) preserves a rare, prehistoric landscape in the eastern reaches of Hokkaido. Encompassing approximately 28,000 hectares, it is Japan’s largest wetland and serves as a vital sanctuary for species that have vanished elsewhere. Originally regarded as “useless” land due to its impassable bogs, it was eventually recognized for its immense ecological value, becoming the first site in Japan to be registered under the Ramsar Convention in 1980, followed by its national park designation in 1987.

The park’s most iconic inhabitant is the Red-crowned crane (Tancho), a bird once feared extinct in Japan. After a small group was rediscovered in the marsh in the 1920s, local conservation efforts helped the population rebound; today, the cranes are a symbol of the region’s resilience. While the sight of them dancing in the winter snow is world-famous, the marsh provides a year-round home for over 600 species of plants and a diverse array of wildlife, including the Siberian salamander and various migratory waterfowl that thrive in the dense reed beds and alder forests.

Unlike the dramatic volcanic peaks that define much of Hokkaido, Kushiro Shitsugen offers a quiet, horizontal beauty. The Kushiro River snakes through the peat bogs in a series of lazy, ancient meanders, creating a labyrinthine water system best viewed from the park’s elevated perimeter. From these vantage points, the landscape appears as a limitless green carpet in summer, turning to a deep, shimmering rust in autumn. It is a place that offers a profound sense of scale, giving visitors a rare glimpse into the primordial wilderness that once covered much of the Japanese archipelago before the advent of modern agriculture.