Japan

Flag

Location

Japan Wildlife Holidays

Our wildlife holidays, wildlife tours and safaris of Japan are listed below:

Japan is not just the land of Toyota and Sony, quite the opposite; Japan is a land a fascinating wildlife and spectacular landscapes. During the spring the country bursts into colour as the various blossoms all bloom in amazing technicolour throughout the forests, the summer sees the snows finally melt from the highlands and weird and rare mammals such as Asiatic black bears, raccoon dogs and Japanese serow move about the hillsides searching for food, during autumn the coastlines and rivers are stalked by the world’s densest population of grizzly bears as well as seals, sea lions, whales and dolphins as they take advantage of the bountiful salmon spawning. But it is during the long cold winter that Japan really comes into its own. Dancing cranes, fishing owls, ice surfing eagles and monkeys with their very own spas; all making Japan a true winter wonderland.

Most of the wildlife of Japan is unique and endemic to the country and Japan is also home to some of the most fascinating wildlife spectacles. From dancing cranes to hot-spring loving monkeys Japan is one of the most exciting wildlife watching destinations in the world. Being a very seasonal country the wildlife watching seasons are split between the wonderful winter wildlife spectacles and summer mammal extravaganzas. So we have developed a range of wildlife holidays to Japan that showcase the best of Japan during the different times of the year. However despite the spring, summer and autumn being great times to visit Japan the best time to visit Japan for its wildlife has to be winter and during our Japanese Winter Wildlife Tour you will be shown some of the most iconic and unique wildlife events in the world.

Winter in Japan means the breeding season for the beautiful Japanese crane, they dance in harmony with their lifelong partners when reuniting for the winter. This stunning spectacle is even more impressive when set behind the snow white backdrop of Hokkaido in winter. We also visit the coast and with the help of an ice-breaker head out into the Pac-Ice to see the large aggregations of Steller’s sea eagles that arrive here to feed on the trapped fish. We then also visit the Japanese Alps on the large island of Honshu to visit Japan’s most famous wild residents, the endemic Japanese macaques as they relax in steaming hot-springs.

But there is much more to Japan’s wildlife than its winter wonderland, there are many endemic mammal species here such as Japanese martens, Japanese weasel, Japanese flying squirrel, Japanese hare, Japanese squirrel, Ryuku flying fox and also 600 species of birds. It is also the best place in the world to spot the highly endangered Asiatic black bear (during the summer/autumn period) and the amazing Shiretoko National Park there is the world’s densest population of brown bears, making this one of the only places in the world where you could spot both brown bears and Asiatic black bears during the same holiday; as well as possibly encountering other Japanese specialities such as racoon dogs and Blakiston’s fish owl.

As we have developed our range of Japanese wildlife holidays we have found a great network of local guides and researchers that are able to take anyone who wishes to see some of the very last wild giant salamanders or even go out in search of the endemic Irimote wild cat. So whatever your wildlife interests we can certainly arrange your ideal wildlife tour of Japan for you.

All these tours are available on other dates (subject to availability) than the dates listed. Please contact us to arrange a tour on a date which suits you.