Participants who join me for my annual Hokkaido photo tours benefit from the more than 25 years of experience that I have leading adventures and exploring Hokkaido. That experience allows me to take the clients off the beaten path or away from some of the areas clogged with far too many photographers pressed together taking photos contributing to tourist pollution in locations across Japan.
One of the areas that is a part of my annual Hokkaido workshop is Rausu, a very popular area among photographers visiting Hokkaido hoping to capture that quintessential birding shot. The name ‘Rausu’ actually has two meanings, both coming from the First Nations People of Japan, the Ainu’s language. The prevailing translation is ‘Low-land’ which means that there are ample locations for the many photogenic birds common to this location. The second translation is much more primal, “The land of men with a beast-like spirit.” The Ainu people of the area undoubtedly explored and tracked the different wildlife through the area, but they have always been careful to strike a balance with nature, only hunting to meet their necessities and offering respect for the ample Hokkaido wildlife, living in peace among it.
One of the many airborne wildlife specific to Japan’s north island that I photograph every winter is the Blakiston’s Owl (Bubo blakistoni), but there are so many others: the Steller’s Sea Eagle (Haliaeetus Pelagicus), the White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla), Red-crowned Cranes (Grus japonensis), and the adorable puffball the Shima Enaga (Aegithalos caudatus among others. There are many locations across Hokkaido that I have scouted during my years of experience that I know make perfect vantage points for taking spectacular photos of Blakiston’s Fish Owl and many other birds as they hunt for food, patrol the area, or settle in for a moment’s rest. Hokkaido Winter Photo Tours mean opportunities for once in a lifetime birding, cultural, minimalist landscapes plus a variety of other photogenic subjects.
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