The Yomiuri Shimbun
Red-crowned cranes gather at a feeding ground in Tsurui Village, Hokkaido, on Saturday.
16:00 JST, January 5, 2026
Hokkaido’s Tsurui Village, home to the red-crowned crane, a national Special Natural Monument, is seeing a spike in visitors as the new year begins.
On Saturday, about 100 cranes arrived at a large feeding ground, the Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary. The new arrivals were seen raising their beaks and crying.
Tancho is a Japanese word for red-crowned cranes.
Residents and tourists were captivated by the sight, saying, “Cranes are auspicious” and “They’re impressive.”
Conservation efforts for the red-crowned crane have progressed, with a survey in January 2025 confirming that a record 1,927 inhabit Hokkaido.
AloJapan.com