The world is white, pure white, as far as the eye can see. For a moment, we aren’t sure if we’re looking at a field of snow outside the windows of our bus or if we are still stuck in our hotel room, staring at the endless snow of TV static after the last programme has ended.
Fortunately it’s the former; the cold tells us as much. The temperature inside a cosy hotel room would be higher. We’re on our way to Tsurimidai, a wide open plain (and a village of the same name) in the wilderness of East Hokkaido. We’re on our way to see the tancho cranes dance.
Known as tanchozuru (which translates as “red-crowned crane” in Japanese), these birds can also be found in north-eastern China, Siberia and Korea. Yet the crane is most identified with Japan to the extent its likeness is used for the official logo of Japan Airlines. It is a worthy choice; the tancho, which mates for life, is a symbol of fidelity and longevity.
So most people can identify a tancho by its distinctive silhouette or its crimson crown, even if they haven’t seen one before. We hope to rectify this, however, by seeing one in real life at Tsurimidai.
During the winter months, around 200 tancho cranes will fly over to Tsurimidai in search of food, making it one of the largest tancho gatherings. The draw here is to observe the cranes up close, or as close as possible without disturbing the birds in their natural element.
The Tsurimidai outdoor observation site is located about 30km from Kushiro Airport. The easiest way to reach it is by driving. There are also regular but infrequent buses operated by Akan Bus from JR Kushiro Station. As it is essentially an open plain (albeit with some necessary fencing for safety), there are no closing times unlike other sites such as the Tancho Observation Centre further west or the Tsurui Ito Tancho Sanctuary up north; these have fixed opening hours.
We choose to travel by bus, not being keen to drive in winter conditions. The benefit of not being behind the wheel ourselves is that we have more time to look out the windows, to watch the wintry landscape pass us by.
What a view! The serene blanket of snow covering the land; the occasional animal – a deer! a fox! – can be glimpsed if your eyes are sharp; the skeletons of trees in hibernation waiting for the warmer months to return, and with them, their leaves and flowers.
We reach Tsurimidai in the afternoon, just after their feeding time. Yes, one of the reasons Tsurimidai attracts so many tancho cranes is the villagers who feed the birds twice a day, in early morning and around mid-afternoon. Food is too scarce during winter and the cranes cannot locate enough on their own.
This is perhaps, partly, why the tancho cranes are loyal to the land and have come to represent it. There is even a monument to the iconic tancho cranes at Tsurimidai that greets us when we arrive. The villagers are proud of their fine-feathered guests.
The birds wear a coat of white marked by black colouration on their wings, necks and faces. They wear a crown of red on their heads, of course, hence the name. A striking vision, especially against the blinding white of the snow.
Most of the tancho flock feed without hurry, grazing beneath the trees where seed and grain have been scattered. A flock of whooper swans rests nearby, lured by the promise of an easy meal (though the cranes are reluctant to share and can chase any stray swan away aggressively).
More and more cranes arrive to feed, approaching in graceful descent. Then a mating pair or perhaps one that has already mated for life will begin to circle its partner. The dance of the tancho cranes begin. A waltz, slow and beguiling. We, the audience, are happy to be hypnotised.
Tsurimidai is tranquil, even with a small number of other visitors – some tourists with children, others wildlife photographers lugging professional equipment around – as everyone seems to instinctively understand that this is a sacred space. Silence is our way of paying respect to nature and to the cranes.
Tancho cranes are red-crowned cranes yet not all red-crowned cranes can be considered tancho. Unlike their cousins on the continent, these elegant birds that call East Hokkaido home do not migrate as the seasons change. Hokkaido’s tancho cranes stay here all year round. They are the most loyal of a species already famed for its loyalty.
At Tsurimidai, the cranes remain even after the snow has melted. You can still observe the cranes, though in smaller numbers, during spring and early summer. Past that and food is plentiful elsewhere so there isn’t a need for the villagers to feed them anymore.
Yet it’s not uncommon to see a crane or two soaring overhead, even in deep summer. Perhaps they are looking out for their friends, waiting for the time to gather again when the winter arrives once more. And when the snow returns, so does the dance of the tancho – mysterious, beautiful, magical.