The Japanese Crane Nature Park sits on an unassuming pond in Aomori Prefecture. It includes a famous, beautiful wooden bridge, making it the perfect place for an afternoon picnic while enjoying the wildlife and supporting local conservation efforts.
Edo Period and Creating the Japanese Crane Nature Park
Since the early Edo period, this area has been reported to have a high concentration of Japanese cranes (also known as Red-crown or Manchurian cranes). In touch with nature, locals and even people of important personages would come during their migrations to and from their winter spots.
In 1997, two breeding pairs came from China and Russia. The park was established to create a suitable habitat for these birds and increase their numbers in Japan. However, there was an unintended side effect – unlike their cousins on the continent, Red-crown cranes in Japan usually do not migrate.
There are now resident populations in both Hokkaido and Aomori. Only the Hokkaido group “migrates” in the winter, and only by approximately 150 km (93 miles) to areas with higher food concentrations.
Since 1997, the Japanese Crane Nature Park population has increased substantially, and chicks are being born and raised every year. This crane can live approximately 30 to 40 years in the wild and has between one and three chicks per year, which has been a great success for conservation efforts.
Tsuru no Mai Bridge
Besides the cranes, one of the big draws to the park is the Tsuru no Mai Bridge, which means “crane stage bridge”. At 300 metres (just under 1,000 ft), it is a triple-arched wooden bridge resembling two flight cranes.
It is Japan’s longest wooden arched bridge and has had this distinction since its construction in 1994. Over 700 Aomori Hiba (a unique species of Cyprus tree) were, all of which were over 150 years old. It was built in a traditional style to create the illusion that these two cranes are flying with Mt Iwaki in the background (from certain angles).
Getting to the Japanese Crane Nature Park
You will need a car to get here; the journey takes approximately 1 hour from Aomori City. From Aomori, take National Route 7, going southwest toward Goshogawara. You will then head west on National Routes 101 and 150 to get to Tsuruta, which hosts the Japanese Crane Nature Park, located slightly west on roads 153 and 200.
It is completely free to visit and walk across the bridge. Depending on which end of the bridge you would like to start on, you can park at the Welfare Center Tsugaru Fujimiso or the Fujimi Lake Park Management Office. The Management Office side has a souvenir shop and more parking readily available. Still, I think the Welfare Center side has a better view of the bridge with the mountain in the back and is closer to the official part of the nature reserve.
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