We came in late February with some friends who had been twice before. They were surprised how few birds there were on this visit in comparison to earlier years.
When we arrived from Kushiro we went to the Centre after lunch and stayed for an hour or so but most birds had left by mid afternoon. We came back the next morning but missed feeding time (at 8am) by about 10 minutes and again there weren't too many cranes in evidence.
They have an information centre which has a short video and a series of explanations as you walk through the centre. There is a small inside play area for the kids who will no doubt get bored quickly outside.
They sell coffee but no meals. There is a hotel across the road where you can get lunch.
Great place to view Tanchos (red naped crane or Grus japonensis) up close. Such beautiful birds. Also fun to watch the avid birders with more camera equipment that you can imagine. You can get a nice lunch and coffee from the staff behind the counter too.
We spotted a squirrel at parking before getting in the center.
This center has an small entrance fee, but it displays the exhibits on how to raise a child crane and cranes’ life cycle. At the outdoor areas, they have three kinds of crane on display. One of red-crown crane has no boundary and no fence. She can fly out anytime but she is in-love with zookeepers. Hence, she never leaves this center and her nests.
That’s why zookeepers have to pretend to be the cranes when raising a child crane. Otherwise, they cannot find their natural mates in the future.
There’s a sitting area to wait for watching those wild cranes coming around those fields in front of there. Unfortunately we cannot see any of them on that day (11 Nov 2025)
Good place to drive out to the place but nothing much to see. There were only three enclosures to see the cranes. Can’t take clear picture due to wired barrier in between and other one were hiding inside the shade due to heat in the day we visited. It would be a good place to visit in winters when migrating birds also lands here. There are good spots to set up your camera inside and click the pics when the snow is covered in winters. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable but if the birds are not there then it’s a waste of driving out to the place so far.
My visit coincided with the off-season, we could see a few flying pass.
It's important to note that if you're planning a visit specifically to see the cranes, it would be best to research the appropriate time of year to ensure you catch a glimpse of these graceful birds.
Do note that are also other areas to observe the cranes .
Entrance fee is 480 yen to this place , and there is also a bundle package if you decide to visit the Marsh Observatory .
