The island chain making up the country of Japan is undoubtedly a must-visit destination for the keen birder, and this exploration takes in the very best of what Japan has to offer.

Stretching for over 3,000 kilometres (1,860 miles), ‘The Land of the Rising Sun’ is host to a variety of habitats. On the beautiful, northerly island of Hokkaido, with its fields of snow, frozen lakes and rugged seacoasts, we hope to marvel at the impressive Blakiston’s Fish Owl, magnificent Steller’s Sea Eagles and elegant Red-crowned (Japanese) Cranes. In addition, the coasts here are home to numerous species of sea-ducks, loons and auks, and we will also keep an eye out for wintering passerines, including the beautiful Asian Rosy Finch.

The forests inland from Tokyo harbour the spectacular, endemic Copper and Japanese Green Pheasants, Japanese Accentor, Japanese Grosbeak and Japanese Green Woodpecker, while the hot springs at Nagano are famous for their ‘Snow Monkeys’. The extensive rivers and lakes on the Sea of Japan side of Honshu teem with waterfowl that include the immaculate Smew, Falcated Duck, Baikal Teal, Tundra and Taiga Bean Goose and the rare Long-billed Plover.

The island of Kyushu plays host to one of the greatest avian spectacles on earth, with thousands of Hooded and White-naped Cranes spending the winter here along with other specialties like Brown-cheeked Rail, Chinese Penduline Tit, Saunders’s Gull and the superb Mandarin Duck. On the eastern side of the island, we will attempt to locate the near-endemic Grey Bunting and the endangered Japanese Murrelet among many other exciting and memorable species. We invite you to join us on our unforgettable exploration of this Asian winter wonderland!