Wildlifeof Japan
Places
Where to see Japan's wildlife, from Hokkaido to the Ryukyu and Ogasawara islands.
Why Hokkaido
Japan's northern island has a wilder, colder landscape and a different set of animals from the rest of the country: brown bears, red foxes, sika deer, Blakiston's fish owls, red-crowned cranes and, in late winter, Steller's and white-tailed sea eagles on the drift ice of the Okhotsk Sea. Winter (January to March) is the peak season for cranes and eagles; summer is best for bears and seabirds.
Why central Honshu
Forested mountains cover most of Japan's main island. The Japanese Alps hold serows, rock ptarmigans and snow monkeys, and the upland forests of Nagano are rich in woodpeckers, flycatchers and flying squirrels. Many mountain roads and trails close from late autumn to spring, so check before you go.
Why the west
The warmer south-west has Japan's great crane gathering at Izumi, where more than ten thousand hooded and white-naped cranes spend the winter, the ancient cedar forests of Yakushima with their own macaques and deer, and the clear rivers of western Honshu where giant salamanders still live.
Why the southern islands
The subtropical islands between Kyushu and Taiwan are among the richest places in Japan for endemic wildlife. Amami-Oshima, the Yanbaru forest of northern Okinawa and Iriomote are a World Heritage site for species found nowhere else: the Amami rabbit, Lidth's jay, the Okinawa rail and the Iriomote cat. Most are shy or nocturnal; night drives with a local guide are the best way to see them.
Why the remote islands
The Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, 1,000 km south of Tokyo and reached only by a day-long ferry, are oceanic islands with their own birds, bats and snails, and a World Heritage site. Their seas hold humpback whales in winter and dolphins all year. The single ferry sets the rhythm of any visit, so plan around its timetable.