Kushiro-shitsugen National Park National Park

Address: Kushiro-shitsugen (Kushiro Marsh) National Park, Hokkaido, Japan

Website: https://www.env.go.jp/en/nature/nps/park/parks/kushiro.html

Hours: Open year-round

Admission: Free entry (national park)

Kushiro-shitsugen National Park protects the Kushiro Marsh, the largest wetland in Japan, on Hokkaido’s eastern plains. The park conserves peat bogs, marshes and associated wetland ecosystems and is an important habitat for wetland bird species.

The area is particularly known for the red-crowned crane, which uses the marsh for feeding and nesting; visitors come to boardwalks, observation points and trails to watch cranes and other wetland wildlife. The park contains established birdwatching facilities and low-impact trails designed to protect sensitive marsh habitats.

Situated on Hokkaido’s eastern coastal plain, the park is accessible from the regional city of Kushiro and neighboring towns, spreading across the broader wetland landscape toward the Pacific coast.

• Wildlife: Home to Japan’s largest marshland and an important wintering and breeding area for the red-crowned (tancho) crane, with boardwalks and observation towers for wildlife viewing.

Kushiro-shitsugen National Park (Kushiro Marsh) is accessed from the city of Kushiro on Hokkaido. Take JR to Kushiro Station and then use local buses or organized tours that serve the marsh and the Kushiro Marsh Observatory; there are scheduled bus services from Kushiro Station to marsh visitor sites during the tourist season. By car the marsh is a short drive from central Kushiro (the drive to major observation points typically takes on the order of 30-40 minutes).

• Visit in winter or early spring if your goal is to see red-crowned cranes-local observation points and guided winter tours focus on crane viewing at dawn and dusk.
• Head to the established boardwalks and observation platforms (for example the Hosooka area and other marsh observatories) rather than wandering off-trail; the raised boardwalks give the best unobstructed views of the marshland.
• Check local bus schedules from Kushiro city or plan parking at the main trailheads; many visitors miss quieter side trails and small visitor centers that explain the park's ecology.