1. A Photo Album Of Hokkaido
by Joshua Ong 80

2. Cows

7. Cranes

26. The Japanese cranes (tancho) are mentioned in their folktales
The Japanese cranes (tancho) are mentioned in their folktales. They were seen in various parts of Japan until the Edo era. After the Meiji era, these birds almost became extinct.
However in 1924, more than 10 Japanese cranes were discovered in Kushiro Marsh. Since then, the local people had endeavored to protect these precious creatures. These beautiful cranes were designated as a special national monument of Japan in 1952.
In August 1958, the Japanese Crane Reserve was opened with five cranes in Kushiro. According to a 1998 survey, there were only about 798 cranes in the whole nation of Japan.