Keen wildlife photographers of all levels of experience are invited to join & Ian for this fifteen-night Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday on the island of Hokkaido & also on mainland Japan.


You will photograph Japan's unique winter wildlife in wintery conditions on the island of Hokkaido & in Yudanaka in .

Our journey takes us from Tokyo to the far northern island of Hokkaido; our first stop is in Tsurui-mura, a small village located in the Kushiro Sub-prefecture, which will see us photograph the fabulous Red-crowned Crane. From Tsurui-mura, we move to Lake Kussharo; within this caldera lake, our main target species will be the whooper swan, but we also frequently encounter the Eizo Red Fox. Our journey continues to Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula; this is where we take what we consider to be enough boat trips to fill your portfolio with images of the Steller's & White-tailed Sea Eagles on the drift ice; it is not uncommon for the conditions & the drift ice to vary significantly from day-to-day. But three days should enable you to capture some fantastic images. A two-day visit to Nemuro concludes our time on Hokkaido. Back on mainland , we continue our journey by travelling to the home of the snow monkeys, then onto a location that provides the perfect conclusion to the tour with whooper swans on a lake with Mount Fuji as the backdrop.

The fifteen-night photography holiday has an itinerary designed for photography of all of the iconic winter species of this fascinating country, plus some of the species other trips generally do not include, such as the .

Throughout this trip, the locations should provide opportunities for capturing images of Black-eared Kite, Eurasian Long-tailed Tit, Ezo Red Fox, Ezo Sika Deer, Japanese Macaque, Red Fox, Red-crowned Crane, Steller's Sea Eagle, Ural Owl, White-tailed Sea Eagle, Whooper Swan & more besides.
One Of The Whooper Swans Rests On The Frozen Lake With A Fantastic Snowy Backdrop One Of The Species Featured During Our Japan's Winter Wildlife Photography Holiday

Winter Wildlife of Japan Photography Holiday Itinerary

The following is the proposed itinerary for this photography holiday, it should be considered provisional & subject to change.
  • Day 1 - Flight to Tokyo, Haneda
  • Day 2 - Assemble Haneda - transfer to local hotel, optional evening meal in hotel with group - overnight in Haneda Airport locality
  • Day 3 - Transfer to Hokkaido, sunset Crane photography - overnight in Tsurui-mura
  • Day 4 - Dawn photography at Otowa Bridge, Crane photography at Tsurumidai & Tsurui Ito - overnight in Tsurui-mura
  • Day 5 - Dawn photography at Otowa Bridge & Crane photography at Akan Crane Centre - transfer to Teshikaga
  • Day 6 - Early morning Swan photography, photography of Bihoro Pass, sunset photography - overnight in Teshikaga
  • Day 7 - Early morning Swan photography - transfer to Rausu - overnight in Rausu
  • Day 8 - Early & mid-morning Steller's Sea Eagle photography, Notsuke Peninsula photography - overnight in Rausu
  • Day 9 - Early & mid-morning Steller's Sea Eagle photography - overnight in Rausu
  • Day 10 - Early & mid-morning Steller's Sea Eagle photography - transfer to South-eastern Hokkaido
  • Day 11 - Morning Sea Eagle photography, Notsuke Peninsula photography - overnight in South-eastern Hokkaido
  • Day 12 - Morning Sea Eagle photography - transfer to Tokyo - overnight in Tokyo
  • Day 13 - transfer to Yudanaka - overnight in Yudanaka
  • Day 14 - Snow Monkey photography - overnight in Yudanaka
  • Day 15 - Snow Monkey photography, Transfer to Five-Lakes area, sunset photography of Mt. Fuji - overnight Five-Lakes Area
  • Day 16 - Sunrise photography of Mt. Fuji - transfer to Tokyo
One Of The White Tailed Eagles Of Hokkaido In A Dive One Of The Species Featured During Our Japan's Winter Wildlife Photography Holiday

Winter Wildlife of Japan Photography Holiday Highlights

We have taken care to refine the itinerary for this wildlife photography holiday; as such, we consider the following to be amongst the highlights of this tour.
  • Capture images of the 'dancing' red-crowned cranes
  • Capture images of the iconic snow monkeys at their thermal spa
  • Capture images of the native Ural Owls
  • Capture images of whooper swans on a lake with mount fuji as the backdrop
  • Six boat trips to photograph the Steller's & White-Tailed Sea Eagles
  • Spend two mornings photographing Black-eared Kites, Steller's & White-Tailed Sea Eagles fighting on a frozen lake
  • Great guide to client ratio of no more than 1:4
  • Guided by David Miles & Ian Roberts for NaturesLens
  • Stay for fifteen-nights on a half board, non-shared basis
  • Single occupancy accommodation is provided at no extra cost to you
A Trio Of Japanese Sika Deer On A Snow Covered Penninsula One Of The Species Featured During Our Japan's Winter Wildlife Photography Holiday.jpg
A Trio Of The Japanese Red Crowned Cranes In Flight One Of The Species Featured During Our Japan's Winter Wildlife Photography Holiday
One Of The Snow Monkeys Or Japanese Macaques Of Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park Leaps Across A Stream One Of The Species Featured During Our Japan's Winter Wildlife Photography Holiday

Travel Insurance

Travel Insurance – it is a requirement when booking on any wildlife photography holiday scheduled by NaturesLens that you have adequate travel insurance, we suggest a policy from TrailFinders or Campbell Irvine.

Camera Insurance

Insuring your camera equipment before embarking on any wildlife photographic holiday is crucial. Our trips often involve venturing into remote, & sometimes unpredictable environments where accidents & unexpected incidents occur. Insuring your camera gear provides financial protection against theft, loss, or damage, ensuring your investment is safeguarded.

Wildlife photography involves capturing unique & irreplaceable moments, & without proper insurance, any unforeseen mishap could result in significant monetary losses. By insuring your equipment, you can enjoy peace of mind, knowing that you’re covered in case of any unfortunate events, allowing you to fully immerse yourself in the awe-inspiring world of wildlife & capture stunning photographs without worry.

We recommend PhotoGuard for amateur photographers or Glover Howe, who we use.

One Of The Black Eared Kites In Flight Over A Frozen Lake One Of The Species Featured During Our Japan's Winter Wildlife Photography Holiday

Several of the photos shown on this page are chosen from those contributed by Ian Roberts; Ian co-guides a number of trips & leads our Skomer workshops, our Winter Wildlife of Japan Photography Holiday is frequently co-led by David & Ian.

You are invited to join us for our fifteen-night itinerary to photograph the amazing winter wildlife of Japan including the fabulous Red-Crowned Cranes, the beautiful Whooper Swans, the Stellar Sea Eagles on the drift ice & the Snow Monkeys of Yudanaka

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday is a fifteen-night duration event, that costs £8499 & takes place in Hokkaido in Japan, between the dates of 8th - 23rd February 2025. It is ideal for photographing the fabulous Red-Crowned Cranes, the beautiful Whooper Swans, the Stellar Sea Eagles on the drift ice & the Snow Monkeys of Yudanaka. This photography holiday is led by David Miles & Ian Roberts for NaturesLens.

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday is offered on a half board, single occupancy with no single supplement payable basis.

Group size for this photography holiday is a minimum of 4 participants & a maximum of 5, plus David & Ian.

We consider this to be a photography holiday requiring easy effort or exertion, if you have any questions about your suitability for this photography holiday, please contact us before making a booking enquiry.

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday starts & ends at Haneda Airport. Transfers are included between Haneda Airport & Hokkaido then onwards to Yudanaka.

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday requires a deposit of £1700 to secure a place.

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday is a fifteen-night duration event, that costs £8499 & takes place in Hokkaido in Japan, between the dates of 8th - 23rd February 2025. It is ideal for photographing the fabulous Red-Crowned Cranes, the beautiful Whooper Swans, the Stellar Sea Eagles on the drift ice & the Snow Monkeys of Yudanaka. This photography holiday is led by David Miles & Ian Roberts for NaturesLens.

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday is offered on a half board, single occupancy with no single supplement payable basis.

Group size for this photography holiday is a minimum of 4 participants & a maximum of 5, plus David & Ian.

We consider this to be a photography holiday requiring easy effort or exertion, if you have any questions about your suitability for this photography holiday, please contact us before making a booking enquiry.

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday starts & ends at Haneda Airport. Transfers are included between Haneda Airport & Hokkaido then onwards to Yudanaka.

The Amazing Winter Wildlife of Japan photography holiday requires a deposit of £1700 to secure a place.

NaturesLens photography holidays do not include flights unless it is explicitly stated on the event page. When it is time to book your flights, we will send you the details in plenty of time to allow for bookings at the best available price.

The photography holiday itinerary is subject to change & is to be considered provisional.

NaturesLens photography holidays require a minimum number of participants in order to be viable. If this minimum number is not met, the photography holiday may not go ahead.

In the event that the minimum number for a photography holiday to go ahead is not reached, NaturesLens reserves the right to cancel any given photography holiday. In that event 100% of monies received will be returned. However, NaturesLens is not responsible for expenses incurred by its customers.

Not all mentioned wildlife can be observed & photographed at all times of the year, thus some activities may be considered seasonal & not available.

Please note the cuisine on many of the NaturesLens photography holidays is authentic & typical of the region in which you are travelling. International or western cuisine is often NOT available. If you have any concerns over the food arrangements or have any special dietary requirements, please contact us prior to making a booking.

All personal luggage are the responsibility of the owner & we request that photography holiday participants limit their luggage to the equivalent of one suitcase, one flight bag, one camera bag & tripod. We do not wish to appear dictatorial in this matter & the request is made to ensure space & comfort for everyone in our vehicles.

NaturesLens & its agents act only as agents for the passenger in all matters relating to travel arrangements, & as such, do not assume responsibility for injury, accident, damage, loss, delay or irregularity which may occur via defect of transportation or any other cause.

NaturesLens reserves the right to substitute hotels, & other previously outlined arrangements as necessary, to either improve or equal the travel experience.

NaturesLens reserves the right to pass on to photography holiday participants any additional & unplanned expenditure incurred during a photography holiday, via events beyond the control of NaturesLens. NaturesLens reserves the right to accept or decline any person as a member of any photography holiday.

Payment of deposit by photography holiday participants or their representative constitutes their acceptance of all conditions contained herein.

All bookings are made subject to our terms & conditions.

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