Swans winter in rice paddies near Tokyo

The Yomiuri Shimbun

November 17, 2021

Swans that migrated south are wintering in rice paddies in Inzai, Chiba Prefecture. Residents began filling the paddies with water after every harvest about 30 years ago, when six swans were seen in the area. According to observers at Motono Elementary School, the first three swans of this season arrived on Oct. 29, and as of Wednesday morning, 96 swans had been spotted. It is said there have been seasons when more than 1,000 swans have been seen. The waterfowl will stay at the rice paddies until around March.