One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Tsurui鶴居村
The crane village, and one of Japan's most beautiful
Kushiro region · Kushiro City, the Kushiro Marsh and the lakes of Akan and Teshikaga.
Tsurui is named for the red-crowned cranes that winter here — Japan's greatest crane sanctuary village, and one of its 'most beautiful villages'.
Tsurui is a small dairy village on the western edge of Kushiro Marsh, named for the red-crowned cranes that gather here every winter. Feeding grounds inside the village draw the largest concentrations of wild tancho anywhere, and photographers from around the world line a bridge at dawn to catch them in the river mist. The village belongs to the association of Japan's most beautiful villages, and its cheese is well known. Quiet, spread out and close to Kushiro, it suits birders and anyone who wants the marsh without the crowds.
- Region
- Kushiro (釧路)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~294 km · 4.5 h summer / 5.4 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~324 km · 5 h summer / 5.9 h winter
- Best season in Kushiro
- Summer suits wetland walks, canoeing and the lakes; winter is a popular time for crane watching. Plan around the season and the day's weather.
Tsurui at a glance
Drive estimates: straight-line × 1.35, at 65 km/h (summer) / 55 km/h (winter). How we calculate
What to see in Tsurui
Tsurumidai crane feeding ground
鶴見台
A roadside feeding ground on the main road through the village where wild red-crowned cranes gather from November to March, often in dozens, close enough to watch their dances without a long lens.
Otowa Bridge
音羽橋
A bridge over the Setsuri River where cranes roost in the unfrozen water on winter nights. At dawn, in hard cold, they stand in the river steam with frost on the trees, the most photographed crane scene in Japan.
Onnenai boardwalk
温根内木道
A loop boardwalk from the Onnenai Visitor Center on the marsh's west side, running out through reed and sedge to open water. Flat, short and the best way to see the marsh's plants close up.
Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary
鶴居・伊藤タンチョウサンクチュアリ
A crane sanctuary run by the Wild Bird Society of Japan on the village outskirts, with a nature centre and a winter feeding area where staff answer questions and cranes arrive by the flock.
Getting to Tsurui
Kushiro Airport is about 40 minutes by car, and Kushiro city about an hour. The village has no railway; buses run from Kushiro, but a car is far more practical for the crane sites, which are spread along the valley. From Sapporo it is roughly five and a half hours by car.
Kushiro region: Kushiro Airport and JR Kushiro Station are the main gateways. Airport buses serve both the city centre and Lake Akan; check transport to wetland sites, the Teshikaga lakes and tour meeting points separately.
When to visit Tsurui
December to February is the season, with January and early February the coldest and best for the Otowa Bridge dawn scene. Cranes are at the feeding grounds from November to March. Summer is green and quiet, with the marsh boardwalk and pastures, but the cranes are dispersed and hard to find.
What to eat in Tsurui
Dairy is everything here: the village's natural cheeses have won national awards, and milk, yoghurt and ice cream come straight from the farms along the road. Beef from the same pastures and venison from the marsh edge appear on local menus.
Tsurui in context: the Kushiro region
Click a town to open its page
The Kushiro region covers eight municipalities in eastern Hokkaido. Kushiro City is the main gateway, with the airport, Kushiro Station and a harbour known for seafood and robatayaki charcoal grills. The Kushiro Marsh, Japan's largest wetland, lies north of the city and spreads across several municipalities, so plan your visit around a specific observatory, boardwalk or canoe tour.