Kushiro Marsh

Japan's largest wetland, stretching across a broad, flat basin in eastern Hokkaido. Raised boardwalk trails and an observation tower at the Hokuto visitor center let you scan across the reed beds, and in winter the marsh is one of the few places in the world where you can reliably observe red-crowned cranes performing their courtship dances in the snow. Canoe tours run on the Kushiro River from spring through autumn, moving quietly through channels bordered by willows and sedge grass. The nature museum near the main entrance covers the marsh's ecology in useful depth. Early morning visits give the best chance of seeing birds before the tour buses arrive.