Kushiro in Japan

Kushiro, Hokkaido’s largest city, is an important transit city for visitors to Kushiro Wetlands National Park and Akan National Park. Set by the Kushiro River, this historic port city has become an important industrial center over the years since the flowing river allows for easy access even in winter. An interesting stopover for visitors to Hokkaido, you can spend a rewarding day or two exploring the shops and restaurants at the Fisherman’s Wharf by the coast. Next door, the temperature controlled EGG indoor garden is perfect for a quiet stroll, while the Hokkaido Kushiro Art Museum boasts several interesting exhibits by local artists. A little distance away from the city, lies the Kushiro Wetlands National Park, the nation’s largest wetland and marsh habitat that nurtures the only known population of endangered Japanese Cranes in the country. Believed to be extinct till 1926 when a group of 20 Japanese cranes were spotted in the area, you can now see about 1,000 birds thanks to intense conservation efforts. The Kushiro Marshland, a national park since 1987, also offers plenty of walking trails that take you up close to its other inhabitants – deer and sea eagles.