Japan Birding & Wildlife Tours

Explore the wonderful nature of Japan on one of AJT's special Japan Birding and Wildlife Tours. Despite being such a small island, Japan has a broad diversity of wild animals and birds, and the stars of our tour are some of the country's most famous creatures. These itineraries are perfect for birding enthusiasts, wildlife photographers, and nature-loving travelers who are interested in a wildlife tour of one of Hokkaido, with an option to add must-see destinations in Honshu. On these Japan nature trips you will be able to see rare and incredible creatures native to Japan as part of a small travel group of only 10 people at most.

The first tour is our Charms of Hokkaido Birding and Wildlife Photography Tour - a 9-day Hokkaido trip carefully crafted to contain the most famous of this beautiful island's wild birds and animals. The tour begins in Tsurui - a town in the Kushiro region known as the top spot for viewing the Tancho Red-crowned crane. Find that perfect picture of this elegant and iconic bird in feeding or roosting grounds at Tsurumidai, the Ito Tancho Crane Sanctuary, and Otawa Bridge. The tour continues to Lake Kussharo: a large lake in the Akan-Mashu National Park where the gorgeous white Whooper swan can be seen roosting near a local open-air hot spring. We explore around Mount Iou - a local active volcano - before proceeding to the Notsuke Peninsula to search for the Ezo Deer and Hokkaido Fox. Next, in Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula, we look for Blakiston's Fish Owl, one of the largest owls in the world and a sacred bird to the indigenous Ainu people. We also take a nature cruise to view the assorted variety of sea birds that can be seen off the coast of the peninsula. In Aidomari, which is the furthest point up Shiretoko you can travel by car, we can see the colorful Harlequin Duck among other sea birds of the region. We take cruise off the coast of Nemuro for more opportunities to see the countless native birds of the area. Over Lake Furen we can find the enormous Steller's Sea Eagle and White- Tailed Eagle in large groups around the brackish lake. After, we explore the Kiritappu Wetland - a Ramsar Site that hosts cranes, ducks, swans, and other local birds in winter.

The second tour, our Hokkaido and Beyond - Birding and Wildlife Winter Photography Tour is a 13-day itinerary that adds an extension into Honshu to the Charms of Hokkaido travel package. During the first five days of this excellent Japan winter photography tour, we travel to Mount Fuji for photo opportunities in the picturesque Fuji Five Lakes region, which offers some splendid views of the iconic mountain and other beautiful nature scenes. After, we travel to Yudanaka Onsen in Nagano, stopping over at Matsumoto to see the imposing Matsumoto Castle, and again at Obuse, which preserves the woodblock print artworks of the Edo-era artist Hokusuai at the Hokusai museum. Finally, at Yudanaka Onsen, we visit the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. The snow monkey is also known as the Japanese macaque and can be photographed bathing in a natural hot spring. We take time to capture on film the antics of these curious monkeys before the tour continues to the Hokkaido portion of the tour.

Choose one of our professionally crafted Japan Birding and Wildlife Winter Photography Tours, and explore the incredible natural splendor and fascinating wildlife of Japan. Our tours include comfortable transportation on one of our private coaches and the assistance of an expert Japan birding guide. Please browse our itineraries for more information.