Marsh, Marimo & the Crane Dance

A leisurely winter escape through Hokkaido's wildlife-rich marshlands and Ainu heritage.

Red-crowned cranes were thought extinct in Japan until a small population turned up in the Kushiro Marsh in 1924, half-starved and unnoticed. They're still there, and in winter, when the marsh freezes and food gets scarce, they gather at a handful of feeding grounds where you can watch them at close range — pairs facing off, wings spread, leaping and bowing in a courtship display that looks choreographed because, in a sense, it is.

This trip is built around that marsh and the volcanic country just inland from it. A seasonal steam train runs a short, slow line through the frozen wetland, which is worth doing simply for how quiet it is inside the carriage while the landscape outside does all the work. Further inland, Akan is one of the more established centers of Ainu culture in Hokkaido, with a resident community, working artisans, and a UNESCO-recognized dance tradition that's performed rather than staged for tourists. Nearby, sulfur vents steam through the snow at Kawayu, and Lake Kussharo hosts overwintering whooper swans on the parts of the lake warmed by hot springs beneath it.

None of this is too fast-paced. Most days have one significant activity and a lot of room around it. It suits people who want to enjoy the winter scenery at a leisurely pace and take their time exploring the local area.