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Kushiro-Ito Tancho Sanctuary (Tsurui)
鶴居・伊藤タンチョウサンクチュアリHokkaido
Run by the Wild Bird Society of Japan, the Kushiro-Ito Tancho Sanctuary sits on land the conservationist Yoshitaka Ito gave over to the cranes, and its heated observation room and telescopes make it the most comfortable red-crowned crane viewing in eastern Hokkaido. Feeding is at roughly 9am and 2pm through the winter, dropping to mornings only once March arrives. The sanctuary is open 1 October to 30 March and the cranes are present November to March, so a spring or summer visit finds a locked building and empty fields.
- Best season
- Spring · Autumn
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Rating
- 4.4· 865 reviews
- Opening hours
- Mon 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Tue–Wed Closed Thu–Sun 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Admission
- Official WBSJ sanctuary page lists admission as free (do not confuse with the fee-charging Akan Crane Center).
- Nearest station
- No scheduled public transport — the Ito Tancho Sanctuary is car or taxi only. Akan Bus's Tsurui line stops at Shimo-Setsuri but not Naka-Setsuri, and no winter shuttle fills the gap. Crane visitors without a car should use Tsurumidai instead, which the ordinary Tsurui bus serves year-round.
- Website
- tancho.marimo.jp
Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.
Today
Closed on these dates9:00–16:00Sun closedFreeClosures
- The building is completely closed 31 March – 30 September, so a spring or summer visit finds a locked facility.
Stored weekly hours
Mon 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM Tue–Wed Closed Thu–Sun 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Closures
- Also closed the 1st, 3rd and 5th Thursday of each month (open if that falls on a public holiday).
Seasonal hours
- Crane feeding runs November–March, roughly 09:00 and 14:00, dropping to a single 09:00 feeding from March.
Note
- OPEN SEASON 1 October – 30 March ONLY.
- Run by the Wild Bird Society of Japan.
How to get there
From Sapporo Station · ~4h 26m by car
Tags
wildlifenature
Location
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