Reed plains
To the horizon.
zenjiro — CC BY 2.0 · mcn_coppi — CC BY-SA 2.0 · MaedaAkihiko — CC BY-SA 4.0 · A_CUVE — CC BY-SA 2.0 · くろふね — CC BY 3.0
Kushiro Shitsugen National Park lies in eastern Hokkaidō, about 15 km in a straight line north of the city of Kushiro, and was designated a national park on 31 July 1987. It is known for its wetland ecosystems. The Kushiro wetlands cover about 269 square kilometres of the Kushiro Plain and contain the largest reedbeds in Japan. The Kushiro River, 154 km long and rising in Lake Kussharo, meanders through much of the park. In 1980 it became the first peatland in Japan listed under the Ramsar Convention, and the wetlands themselves were designated a national natural monument in 1967, so access to most of the area is strictly limited and its typical Hokkaidō landscape has been preserved. From viewpoints such as Hosooka and the wetland observatory, green and brown plains of reed, sedge and moss stretch to the horizon, with the river winding between them and small pools glinting. Red-crowned cranes, the symbol of the area, live here, and a small railway on the Senmō line runs through the park. Viewing the wetlands from the lookouts is free, and canoe trips on the river are paid. Summers are mild and foggy, autumn turns the reeds gold, and winter is the best time to see the cranes.
To the horizon.
Meandering.
The local symbol.
Kushiro Plain, eastern Hokkaidō, Japan
Winter is best.
Access is limited; view from lookouts or by canoe.