Wild Wonders in the Land of the Rising Sun
Japan is a wonderfully different world, filled with cultural delights, architectural and engineering marvels, alongside a wealth of wonderful wildlife. The Land of the Rising Sun is the perfect place to explore in winter, as the unique wildlife is at its best in the snow-laden landscape.
This year, photography leaders Bret Charman and Sean Weekly led our Japan’s Winter Wildlife Photography Special. The majority of the tour is based on the island of Hokkaido, a huge island that plays host to some of Japan’s finest wilderness areas and the numerous species that call them home. One of the big draws is undoubtedly the red-crowned crane and as we stood on the Otowa Bridge across the Satsuri River, there was something magical about standing in an ice-covered world with the sun rising over the surrounding hills. The mist sits over the relative warmth of the river as the cranes wake up from their slumber, and the light catches the rising clouds. It’s an incredible sight and one that provides the most wonderful photography opportunities.
At Lake Kushiro, a picture-perfect scene spreads out before you, and it’s a wonderful place to photograph whooper swans as they gather along the shoreline. Here, hot springs feed into the lake and the water close to the shore stays clear of ice. As the swans gather, and the frozen lake spread out behind the swans, we were able to capture the scene that lay before us.
Heading towards the coast, the next target species on the island of Hokkaido were Steller’s sea and white-tailed eagles, and we were able to build on our portfolio and capture some stunning images.
On our first trip out, we were treated to excellent views of both species, but within a few moments the marine biologist on board spotted an orca pod in the distance. Orca are often seen here in the summer months, but rarely in the winter. What we were treated to for the next hour was unbelievable. The orca’s inquisitive nature led to us enjoying repeated close encounters with the pod and being able to photograph and video the experience.
The island of Hokkaido also plays host to one of the world’s rarest and most elusive species of owl, the Blakiston’s fish owl. There are only a couple of places where there's a good chance to see this giant, and Hotel Daiichi is among the best places to see them. As we started to enjoy a fabulous traditional Japanese meal, we were alerted to the arrival of the owl, and we rushed to the windows with our cameras in hand. There, sat only a few yards away, was a huge Blakiston’s fish owl, posing perfectly as it looked for its own dinner.
After a fabulous week exploring the island of Hokkaido and revelling in some world-class wildlife photography, it was time to take a flight back to Tokyo. After a free night enjoying the city’s bustling streets and a chance to enjoy cuisine of our own choosing, we headed on the shinkansen to the city of Nagano. The nearby town of Yamanouchi is famed for its Japanese macaques, or the snow monkeys as they are affectionately known. We spent the day capturing a wealth of stunning portraits and atmospheric images of these charismatic primates. We were lucky as the weather was cold enough that the monkeys took repeated baths, the only downside was waiting for the steam to clear a little for the best pictures.
Photographing in Japan’s winter wonderland is a unique experience, and you can build up a stunning portfolio of images during a single trip.
Find out more about our wildlife photography tour to Japan or to book your place contact our team.
