Japan in spring

Discover the top wildlife spectacles and species to see during the cherry blossom season. 

Try 6 issues for £10 when you subscribe to BBC Wildlife magazine!
Published: April 21, 2017 at 8:45 am

The islands of Japan cover different climatic zones, resulting in a diverse range of wildlife - including subartic, tropical and endemic species.

There are around:

  • 130 species of mammal
  • 600 species of bird (250 breeding in Japan)
  • 70 species of reptile
  • 300 species of butterfly
  • 4000 - 6000 species of plant


1

Whooper swan

Whooper swan on Lake Kussharo © Haitong Yu/Getty
Whooper swan on Lake Kussharo © Haitong Yu / Getty

This winter visitor from the far north lingers in Japan until April. Famously, flocks gather around hot, volcanic springs on the otherwise frozen Lake Kussharo on Hokkaido. Many an impressive photograph has been taken here as the birds drift through steam like will-o’-the-wisps.

2

Japanese macaque

Japanese macaque in a thermal spring at Yudanaka © Naphat Photography / Getty
Japanese macaque in a thermal spring at Yudanaka © Naphat Photography / Getty

This monkey, unique to Japan, tolerates the coldest conditions of any other primate. Famously, one population (at Yudanaka on the main island of Honshu) has learned to bathe in thermal springs. These ‘snow monkeys’ are a major tourist attraction.

3

Sika deer

A sika deer at Nara © Yanis Ourabah / Getty
A sika deer at Nara © Yanis Ourabah / Getty

Introduced to Britain in 1860 but here in its native range, the sika is closely related to red deer. Inhabiting forests across Japan, single-sex groups are the norm in spring. Some bold individuals beg for food at a temple in Nara on Honshu.

4

Red fox

Red fox subspecies in Hokkaido © Aso Fujita / amanaiimagesRF / Getty
Red fox subspecies in Hokkaido © Aso Fujita / amanaiimagesRF / Getty

Hokkaido’s foxes may be instantly recognisable, but the subspecies occurring here is wrapped in a dense, furry coat that gleams against the snow. Active by day, Hokkaido’s foxes are extrovert and curious, readily hunting for food atop the frozen sea.

5

Blakiston’s eagle owl

A Blakiston's eagle owl © Manuel Romaris
A Blakiston's eagle owl © Manuel Romaris / Getty

Among the rarest and most sought-after of all the world’s night birds is Blakiston’s eagle owl, but this fish-muncher is reliably seen at two hotels on Hokkaido. The indigenous Ainu people believe that the owl is a deity that protects villages.

6

Steller’s sea-eagle

A Steller's sea-eagle in Hokkaido © Manuel Romaris / Getty
A Steller's sea-eagle in Hokkaido © Manuel Romaris / Getty

On weight and wingspan, this giant is a contender for the world’s largest eagle. It’s also stunning: black and white with a yellow bill, eyes and feet. The population mainly winters on Hokkaido, gathering in hundreds on sea ice and at feeding stations.

7

Japanese cherry tree

Japanese cherry blossom (sakura) © Masahiro Makino / Getty
Japanese cherry blossom (sakura) © Masahiro Makino / Getty

Each spring people track the sakura zensen, the northwards wave of mass blooming of the Japanese cherry tree. The front starts at Okinawa in January, passes through Kyoto and Tokyo in March–April, and reaches Hokkaido towards the end of April.

8

Red-crowned crane

Red-crowned cranes dancing display © Alexandre Shimoishi / Getty
Red-crowned cranes dancing display © Alexandre Shimoishi / Getty

Early spring sees Japan's iconic red-crowned cranes dance in display. Also known as the Japanese crane or tancho, they are Japan's 'bird of happiness'. They are over 1.5m tall, with a 2.5m wingspan. They are listed as Endangered on the IUCN Red List.

9

Japanese giant salamander

Japanese giant salamander © Martin Voeller / Getty
Japanese giant salamander © Martin Voeller / Getty

The world's second-largest salamander - up to 1.5m long. They are nocturnal and inhabit cold, fast-flowing rivers in upland Kyushu and Honshu. Remarkable but hard to see! May & June (late spring) offers a chance.

10

Amami rabbit

A black rabbit occurring in old-growth forests on two subtropical islands in the Ryuku Archipelago. An evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered (EDGE) species, regarded as a living fossil and housed in its own genus.

This website is owned and published by Our Media Ltd. www.ourmedia.co.uk
© Our Media 2024