Hosooka Observatory
細岡展望台
Hosooka Observatory offers views of Japan's largest wetland, home to red-crowned cranes.
What it is
- Observatory overlooking Japan's largest wetland, Kushiro Shitsugen.
- Wetland became first Ramsar Convention site in Japan in 1980.
- Designated a National Park seven years later.
What to see
- View of Kushiro Shitsugen wetland, covering 29,000 hectares.
- Kushiro River meandering through reeds and sedges.
- Red-crowned cranes, occasionally visible.
- Three nearby lakes: Toro, Shirarutoro, and Takkobu.
- Hilly terrain including Cape Miyajima and Cape Kirakotan.
- Akan mountain range, with active volcano Mt. Meakan.
In detail
The view from this lookout is of Japan’s largest wetland, Kushiro Shitsugen, which covers about 29,000 hectares. The Kushiro River meanders across the wetland, flanked by reeds (Phragmites) and sedges (Carex). It is the natural habitat of the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), thought to be extinct in Japan until they were discovered here in 1924. The birds are occasionally visible from this observatory.
This area was once submerged beneath the sea. When the seawater retreated about 4,000 years ago, a peaty wetland gradually arose. Three nearby lakes, Toro, Shirarutoro, and Takkobu were formed at this time. The hilly terrain in the middle distance includes Cape Miyajima and Cape Kirakotan, their names a reminder of their coastal past.
The mountains on the horizon are the Akan range. Mt. Meakan, meaning “female Akan,” is the tallest and an active volcano. To the right is a dormant volcano, Mt. Oakan, meaning “male Akan.”
In 1980, Kushiro Shitsugen became the first site in Japan to be protected by the Ramsar Convention, an international treaty that provides the framework for conservation of wetland areas. It became a National Park seven years later.
Text: 観光庁 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース. Reproduced unchanged. The notes above were written from that text by Japan Gems.
Where it is
Hosooka Observatory Open in Google Maps
この施設の関係者の方へ
このページは公開情報をもとに Japan Gems が作成し、訪日外国人向けに英語で掲載しています。 写真や情報の追加・修正を承っています。お店の写真に差し替えることもできます。
このページの情報を更新する
