Joining a Hokkaido Photo Tours mean witnessing and photographing natural treasures.  The Blakiston’s Fish Owl is one of those treasures, and it is so sacred that the First Nation’s People of Japan, the Ainu, consider it a Kamuy or divine being.  The Blakiston’s Fish Owl was considered a protector of villages by the Ainu, an ever vigilant guardian to keep them safe.  However, today, due to the disappearance of their habitat and human encroachment, the Blakiston’s Fish Owl is on the endangered species list, but conservation efforts are being made to rejuvenate the forests where the owls roost and replenish themselves.  Part of that conservation effort to preserve and ultimately grow the existing populations in Hokkaido comes in the form of the Kushiro Wetlands which was awarded national park status.  Conservation and respect for nature are always on your Japan Dreamscapes (JDS) Photo Tour Leaders mind, and while enjoying once in a lifetime photo ops, you will be leaving the natural landscapes just as you found them.

The Blakiston’s Fish Owl is rare, but your JDS Photo Tour Leader has logged years of experiences and encounters with the elusive owl, so the best opportunity you have to photograph this amazing avian resident of Hokkaido is with JDS.  And if you are interested in wildlife photography as well as birding photography, the White-tailed Foxes, Sika Deer, and Red-crowned Cranes will provide ample photo ops for you to enjoy.