National Monument, Japanese Crane
Conservation Activity for Japanese Crane

Japanese crane used to habit large area of Japan atlhough it is currently able to be observed at the only Kushiro wetland and the surrounding area. This destructive impact to Japanese crane was mainly due to the change of wetland environment cuased by the development and overexploitation began about 100 years ago. Accoring to the record from 1924, there were the only several dozen of Japanese crane left around the only Kushiro wetland. Conservation activity began about this time

The activity was mainly managed by the local residence originally, but after world war 2, goverment also began to take responsibility for the conservation. Since the time Japanese crane was nominated as national manument in 1952 integrated habitat study has carried on over the region of Kushiro, and artificial reproduction was encounraged since about then.
With these efforts, the number of Japanese Crane has been recovering slowly but steadly as shown on right figure.