Karuizawa_and_Mt_Fuji

Both these sites are within 2-3 hours drive from Tokyo and have similar populations of woodland birds. These places offer stunning scenery, comfortable accommodation and delicious eating options year round. For many, this will be a good place to start discovering Japan's rich woodland avifauna. Most of the core woodland species of the archipelago are common here, including several endemic species. There is good birding to be had all year round, but the best period is late April- early June when the dawn chorus is at its best and many species can be seen in breeding plumage.

Karuizawa is an area of exceptional beauty. The hilly, wooded countryside and the larch-lined avenues of the town itself are evocative at any time of the year. There are many famous birding sites in the area, at a variety of different levels and comprising different habitats. There are many well-marked trails, so a two-night stay here (at least!) is recommended to give yourself the chance of tracking down some of the more elusive birds (in particular the fantastic Copper Pheasant).

Mount Fuji is probably the number one tourist site in Japan. At 3776m above sea level, it makes for impressive viewing on a clear day, seen from your flight as you fly into and out of Tokyo. Fuji-san (as it is affectionately known in Japan) is surrounded by a series of picturesque lakes and rolling wooded hills that are home to a very similar avifauna to Karuizawa. Some of the sought-after species like Japanese Yellow Bunting, Japanese Accentor, Japanese Waxwing, Siberian Thrush and Copper Pheasant may be tricky, but patient walking along particular trails and keeping an ear out for unusual calls usually pays off with some memorable sightings.

Here are some of the birds one might expect to see in either area:

Resident: Green Pheasant (gardens and field edges) and Copper Pheasant (quiet forest trails); White-bellied Green Pigeon; Crested Kingfisher; Ural Owl; Japanese, Great-spotted and Japanese Pygmy Woodpeckers; Japanese Wagtail; Brown Dipper; Northern Wren; Goldcrest; Long-tailed, Willow, Coal and Varied Tit; Eurasian Nuthatch; Eurasian Treecreeper; Eurasian Jay; Azure-winged Magpie; Eurasian Nutcracker; Eurasian Bullfinch; Japanese Grosbeak; Hawfinch; Meadow Bunting.

Spring/ summer: Mandarin Duck; Japanese and Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Northern Goshawk; Grey-faced and Common Buzzard; Northern Hawk, Common, Oriental and Little Cuckoo; Northern Boobok and Oriental Scops Owl; Grey Nightjar; Fork-tailed Swift; Ruddy Kingfisher; Asian House Martin; Ashy Minivet; Olive-backed Pipit; Alpine Accentor (above the tree line on Fuji, lower in winter) and Japanese Accentor (below the tree line at Fuji); Siberian Blue Robin, Red-flanked Bluetail and Japanese Robin; White's, Siberian, Grey and Brown Thrush; Asian Stubtail; Black-browed Reed, Eastern Crowned, Sakhalin and Arctic Warblers; Blue-and-white, Asian Brown, Sooty and Narcissus Flycatcher; Red-cheeked Starling; Japanese Yellow (local) and Chestnut-eared Bunting.

Winter: Japanese and Bohemian Waxwings in some years (check fruiting trees near rivers for flocks of the former); Japanese Accentor; Daurian Redstart; Dusky and Pale Thrush; Common Crossbill; Pallas's and Long-tailed Rosefinch; Grey and Elegant Bunting.

Rare birds: at both Karuizawa and the Mt. Fuji area, keep an eye on the sky for Mountain Hawk Eagle, which is a rarely seen resident. Baikal Teal visit several lakes in the area (including the reservoir at Saku, just 20km south west of Karuizawa) in winter. Solitary Snipe is occasionally found in winter along the Yu River at Karuizawa. Small shingle banks or muddy areas below feeder stream trickles are a good place to look for this interesting species, which has a curious "bobbing" feeding action and resembles a slender woodcock! Pallas's Rosefinch may arrive in cold winters and should be searched for along road and track verges. It also occasionally visits bird tables. Arctic Rosy Finch may also be present above the tree line on Mt. Fuji in winter. Black Paradise Flycatcher is a summer breeder, but is more easily seen in Kyushu. Records of the formerly common Tiger Shrike are very few and far between. Established populations of Chinese Bamboo Partridge (common) and Red-billed Leothrix and Chinese Hwamei (the latter two increasingly common in the Fuji area) are vocal and interesting to watch.

Note on "Snow Monkeys"
You may wish to visit the famous Jigokudani Yaen Park about 2.5 hours drive northwest of Karuizawa. The thermal pools here are used by a troop of Japanese Macaque through the winter, and there are great opportunities to observe and photograph these "snow monkeys" go about their ablutions here in winter. At 850 metres above sea level, this site is covered with snow all winter, but in the area it may be possible to view some of the more hardy resident bird species. Copper Pheasant may be located by their tracks- you may be lucky to see one here. The nearby Kanbayashi spa is a good place to get your circulation back. For a one-night extension to your tour, please contact us in advance.

We can arrange a local guide to take you around some or all of these sites, and we can arrange reservations and transport. Our local guides know exactly what rare birds are about, so you could tick off something like Chinese Merganser as a bonus! Please also see our suggested itinerary for a short bird tour around the Karuizawa or Mount Fuji areas, and note that all our tours can be pieced together to make a longer, Japan-wide tour if desired. Please contact us with your requests.

Karuizawa: Winter Suggested Tour Itinerary, 3 days, 2 nights, December-March

Day 1
Leave Tokyo early morning, by hire car, or bullet train (shinkansen) via Nagano. Arrive 2-3 hours later in the snowy foothills of the extinct Asama volcano, in the town of Karuizawa. This town, with its scenic larch-lined avenues provides the new visitor to Japan with an excellent location to get acquainted with Japan's woodland birds. Check into Karuizawa Forest Pension.

For the rest of the day, the numerous wooded habitats, fringes and parks of the town can be explored for species such as Green and Copper Pheasant, Japanese Waxwing, Japanese Accentor; Japanese, White-backed, Great Spotted and Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker; Long-tailed and Pallas's Rosefinch; Grey Bunting; East Asian, Varied and Willow Tit; Daurian Redstart, Red-flanked Bluetail and Japanese Grosbeak. Asian Azure-winged Magpie and Eurasian Jay can be found around the pension, and there is a chance of hearing the deep hoots of Ural Owl there after dark.

Day 2
Spend the next morning searching quiet forest tracks for the elusive and highly sought-after endemic, Copper Pheasant, here represented by the intergrade subspecies subrufus. The Wild Bird Forest (yacho-no-mori) has many quiet trails where you can track down any other species you may have missed yesterday. Along the Yuko River, Crested Kingfisher, Brown Dipper, Japanese Wagtail, and rarely, Solitary Snipe can be found. Mandarin Duck occur on the nearby reservoir. Raptors you might see include Eurasian Sparrowhawk and Northern Goshawk.

A drive for 20km to Saku City, and a visit to the electricity board's reservoir there may produce great views of Baikal Teal as well as the more regular Goosander and an assortment of other waterfowl. Return to your pension for a second night.

Day 3
A last morning walk trying to spot a Copper Pheasant or a Pallas's Rosefinch could be in order, after which, return by car or train to Tokyo.

An alternative trip from here would be to take a train to Nagano City, then northwards to Kanbayashi Onsen in the snow-clad mountains of northern Nagano-ken prefecture. You can check into the Korakukan Inn and have an invigorating dip at the thermal pools in the onsen before setting off on a walk to Jigokudani Onsen, where a troop of Japanese Macaque can be observed and photographed as they famously make use of the thermal pools. This celebrated site is well worth the trip. There are also chances of seeing the enigmatic Japanese Serow, something of a cross between a goat and a deer- as well as the chance of seeing a rare Mountain Hawk Eagle soaring overhead. Copper Pheasant are also possible here- look for tracks in the snow at road sides in the early morning. Return to Tokyo by train or car the following morning.

The Karuizawa winter trip is a great option as a tag-on trip as part of a wider Japan bird watching holiday, or as a supplement to a short business trip or stay in Tokyo- affordable and unforgettable!

Travel with one of our excellent local guides and you will increase your chances of crowning your trip with a sighting of great birds like Baikal teal or Solitary Snipe! Please contact us with your enquiries, as we can tailor-make the trip to suit your needs.