The crane that symbolises Hokkaido numbered 33 in 1952: in 2026 the count is 1,927.
From the wooden boardwalks over the peat you can watch tanchō cranes (the bird with the red crest, symbol of Hokkaido) moving through the reeds of a 26,000-hectare marsh, the largest in Japan. They had fallen to 33 birds in 1952: the January 2026 census counts 1,927.
Kushiro Marsh is the largest wetland in Japan, shared by the municipality of Kushiro with neighbouring Kushiro-chō, Shibecha and Tsurui. In 1980 it became the country's first Ramsar site, and in 1987 a national park. It is home to about 700 plant species and 200 bird species, including the tanchō: its recovery, from 33 birds in 1952 to 1,927 in the January 2026 census, led the Ministry of the Environment to remove it, on 17 March 2026, from the list of the most endangered species for the first time in 35 years.
ℹ️ You can view the marsh from the viewpoints along the road, such as the one at Hosooka, or from the wooden boardwalks. Nearby stands the Kushiro city observation tower (釧路市湿原展望台). Opening hours and any tickets vary by facility.
🚉 Kushiro-Shitsugen (釧路湿原駅) · 2 min walk
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Kushiro City Museum