Kranich / crane 鶴 tsuru

Red-crowned crane, Manchurian crane, Japanese crane

丹頂鶴 tanchō·zuru

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park / Hokkaidô

“Tanchô”, bird of happiness, is the name of the Manchurian crane in Japan. Here it is the national bird and is revered by the people – as a symbol of long life and marital fidelity. Only about 2000 of these proud gliders have survived the persecution and destruction of their breeding grounds. In Hokkaidô, the cranes were almost extinct in the middle of the last century. Only after villagers started feeding the beloved lucky charms in winter did the population start to recover. Today Japan’s cranes remain in their breeding grounds all year round.