• Summary
   
• Itinerary
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  Reports

This extraordinary Japan expedition blends an array of fascinating wildlife with the exquisite wintertime landscapes of the country. Birders and photographers are in heaven as we visit Arasaki, Kyushu, where nearly 12,000 hooded and white-naped cranes winter each year. We continue on for our snow monkeys expedition, visiting these stirring creatures in Jigokudani in central Honshu, as they soak in the region’s thermal baths. Our Japan tour culminates with a boat trip to the ice edge of the Shiretoko Peninsula, where we greet Steller’s sea eagles, the planet’s largest and most powerful raptor.

Japan Expedition Highlights:

• Immersion in the amazing crane population of Arasaki Crane Reserve, with expert guide, Mark Brazil, by your side.
• Visit to the 1966 World Heritage Site of Gassho-Zukuri Village, with its iconic tall, gabled-roof architecture.
• Accommodations during the snow monkeys tour at an artistic and delightful hotel in Jigokudani, with its own onsen (natural thermal spring).
• Observing flocks of 100 or more red-crowned, or Japanese, cranes as they leap, pirouette, posture, and trumpet around us.
• A must for Japan adventure travel, a visit to Akan National Park, with its scenic crater lake and steaming sulphuroles.

What to Expect:

Japan adventure travel, particularly during winter, is exhilarating. However, we must always remember that when encountering unfamiliar customs, food, accommodations, etc., it is our culture that is the alien one. Flexibility is key, as is an adventurous spirit—the temperatures may be as low as 20°F on Hokkaido, the large northernmost island. During this snow monkeys expedition, much of our time will be spent in the countryside where the culture may seem vastly different, yet rest assured, your experienced guide will be on hand to explain all aspects of Japanese wildlife and society.