Kushiro, Hokkaido in winter. Beautiful Japanese cranes with dignity in cold, warm up your body with special hot spring and attractive nature views of Kushiro are only available in winter.

Kushiro （くしろ）is in Kushiro Subprefecture of Hokkaido, where has direct flights from Tokyo Haneda airport. This article is going to introduce you the attractiveness of this beautiful place, Kushiro.

Kushiro became a really important port during 20 century with the growth of commercial fishing and aquaculture industry. It retains the original scene until now, and is a place where rich in natural resources from the sea.

First of all, let's take you to Washou market (わしょう) where is just right in front of JR Kushiro Station. Visitors are able to buy any kind of fish and seafood here, but “kattedonn（かってどん）”is the most famous object after all.

Katte in Japanese stands for do something as you wish, and donn stands for a bowl of rice. So kattedonn means you can put everything you like on top of the rice. Therefore if you see shops with signboard written “勝手丼 (kattedonn)”, you can choose whatever you like as your topping and create your favorite rice bowl.

“Kattedonn” with large amount of fresh seafood as shown above picture, including botan shrimp, scallop, salmon roe, sea urchin, bullhead fish, snapper, flatfish, and other fresh materials in total is about 2,000 yen. But same rice bowl might cost much more higher in Tokyo.

Next, let's take bus from Kushiro Station to see Japanese cranes (red-head). Due to there are not many buses, so we would suggest schedule plans as following.

“Hotel TAITO” is located in front of the bus station at “Tsurui Village”, and is a hot spring hotel where you can easily to make one-day trip. The hotel is very noticable with Northern Europe style and just right next to the local Township Office.

Visitors are able to watch the most spectacular as crances dancing at “Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary” near the hotel, and then enjoy the warm in dark brownish colour hot springs here. The hot spring colour is the speciality here, which is purposely for warm up body, so please don't forget to give it a try.

After lunch at the hotel, you can take a break and take 12:01 bus on the way back to Kushiro, and get off the bus at station of “Tsuruimidai”. At here you are able to see a large number of Japanese crances! There are approximately 200 Japanese cranes come here and get feeded from November to March of the colder winter months.

Japanese crane, is largest size wide bird of Japan, and the appearance is very graceful and beautiful. Especially when they are stands in the snow, the scenery will definitely kills the films of your camera.

The bus departs to Kushiro Station at 16:18. Due to the temperature at Hokkaido is extremely cold in winter, so please make sure prepare in advance. If feeling very cold, why not find a café and have an extra hot coffee, and buy some presents with Japanese cranes as souvenirs.

In addition, visitors also can take train “SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen Train” travels from Kushiro Station to Shibecha Station in winter. The beautiful and nature scenery is showing through the windows of the limited train.

Beautiful Japanese cranes with dignity in cold, warm up your body with special hot spring and attractive nature views of Kushiro are only available in winter. If you have chance, please come and enjoy the trip and create an unforgettable journey.