Hokkaido Village Attracts Visitors with Red-crowned Cranes, National Special Natural Monument

The Yomiuri Shimbun

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.