Japan Dreamscapes (JDS) Winter Birding Tours’ clients benefit from the more than 20 years of experience that our Photo Workshop Leaders have.  That experience allows us 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.

Rausu is 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 Ainu native people’s language.  The prevailing translation is ‘Low-land’ which means that there are ample locations for a the two very photogenic and birds common to this location.  The second translation is much more primal, “The land of men with a beast-like spirit,” which we at JDS think of as hunters.  The Ainu people of the area undoubtedly explored and tracked the different wildlife through the area.

The first bird to enjoy photographing is the Brown Dipper, which due to its plumage is sometimes hard to spot in the rocky lowlands, but the trained eye of your Photo Workshop Leader will help you capture the birds as they feed in the rivers surrounded by snow.  The second avian discovery is Blakiston’s Owl.  There is a small Japanese style inn nearby that JDS’s Photography Workshop Guides know about that makes a perfect jumping off point for taking spectacular photos of the owl as they hunt and patrol the area looking for their next meals among Hokkaido’s snow and ice.

These are only two species that are the most well-known in the area.  There are, of course always land bound photo ops during Hokkaido Winter Photo Tours that mean opportunities that your JDS Photo Tour Leader will draw your attention to in case you may miss them.  There are tours scheduled for this area during winter, but contact us and schedule a tour if this type of avian wildlife intrigues you.