In the foggy foothills of the Akan volcanic complex, you can find Miyuki Kawase, 47, searching for gods — the red-crowned cranes. As director of the Akan International Crane Center she is head of outreach and advocacy for the birds, which are an endangered species native to Hokkaido. Revered throughout Japanese history for its longevity and monogamy, the sacred bird has risen from the brink of extinction.
1. What brought you to work at the Akan International Crane Center? I grew up in Akan and began working here as an interpreter in 2005 while saving money to potentially go on a working holiday in Australia. My father’s company became connected to the local michi no eki (roadside station) and he recommended I come here.
2. What do you do for the center? I am the center’s director and interpreter.
3. Was your educational background in biology? No. I attended Hokkaido Women's College (now Hokusha University) where I aimed to become a nurse. After returning to Akan, I worked for several different companies in Kushiro. The challenge of becoming the interpreter for the center meant I needed to teach myself about the cranes and other bird species. The research staff from Kushiro Zoo, which also work here at the center, helped me greatly.
4. When did you begin bird watching? In 2007, so many photographers came here to the center to take pictures of the cranes and they all seemed to have so much fun. One sold me a camera and lens for cheap.
5. What birds are your favorite? In the summer my favorite bird to watch rhymes with my name, it’s called kawasemi in Japanese, or common kingfisher in English. In fall, I appreciate the Eurasian jay when the leaves change color. In winter, of course the red-crowned crane is beautiful to watch in the snow.
6. So the cranes come in the winter? They are here year-round. The Akan River behind the center is a winter habitation spot for them. They roost in the waters during the evening and then come to the center during the day. We close off the biotope during the winter, but if you visit the center, you can see the birds in the morning in the fields. That is when the artificial feeding takes place and there are the most number of birds.
7. Artificial feeding? This center is an artificial feeding station, one of three. During the winter food becomes scarce in the Kushiro wetlands. The red-crown crane is a threatened species that was once thought to be extinct in Japan, so it’s important to support the population in finding food. When cranes are in captivity, we feed them with a sock puppet-like sleeve.
8. Does this help the population rebound? Yes. In the 1950s, Sadajiro Yamazaki, whose family farm is located next to the current grounds of the center, began to feed the cranes who came to Akan looking for food. The small population that survives in the wetlands now had a winter food source to help them navigate the harsh Hokkaido freezes. Both Yamazaki and the citizens of Akan helped to feed the birds and grow their population over successive generations.
9. How does the Akan International Crane Center play into all of this? Well, the primary goal of the center is outreach and education. Domestic and inbound tourists can enjoy the museum located on site and learn more about the history and biology of the cranes. In the winter, over 300 wild birds can be seen feeding on the grounds and visitors can take photos. Visitors travel from all over the world to come and see these birds. Kushiro has a sister city partnership with Taiwan, inbound tourists from there get free tickets to enter. Our center is also popular with people from English speaking countries and is English friendly.
10. What is life like for the birds in Hokkaido? Unlike the population of birds in China, the ones in Japan are nonmigratory. They tend to stay in eastern Hokkaido. In the summer, they roost in the Kushiro wetlands, which are protected. In the spring and summer is when they lay eggs. Cranes are unique in that they only bond with another crane for breeding once in their life. They will continue to mate with that partner until they can no longer produce eggs. So, when you see cranes in the wild, they often are in pairs. However, from afar, you cannot tell the gender. The only way to know which is male or female is by their call. The male calls out with one long note and the female calls with two notes.
11. What is the red spot on the crane's head? You can’t tell from far away but that is actually skin and not feathers. It's incredibly thin and vascular there, and both male and females have such spots. When the cranes are threatened or become angry, the red spots become bigger.
12. What is their life cycle like? After the cranes bond, the females will lay two eggs that are each about 230 grams. It takes 32 days for the eggs to hatch. When the chicks are first out of the egg, they are around 10 centimeters tall. Their bones are hollow which helps their rapid growth, around 2 to 3 centimeters each day. After 100 days, their brownish feathers will turn black and white and they will grow to a height of 150 centimeters. Young cranes will follow their parents around until maturity and then bond with another crane.
13. I’ve read that the cranes are important cultural symbols in Japan. Is that right? Since the cranes only pair once in their lives, they are seen as a symbol for a happy marriage. At our center, you can have a wedding ceremony in winter when the cranes are present. Historically, people viewed the cranes as a harbinger of longevity, they were rumored to live for 1,000 years but in actuality, they only live about 20 years in the wild but up to 40 years in captivity. Crane meat was seen as a delicacy and if you ate it you would be blessed with a long life. To the Ainu, they were seen as the gods of the marshlands and inspired some Ainu dances.
14. You’ve said the bird population is increasing, but are there any current threats? Now, there is an issue of the avian flu spreading within the community. Since the modern birds are descendents of a small group they are relatively clustered within the Kushiro wetlands. If one subgroup comes down with bird flu, the fear is that it could rapidly spread within the community.
15. How many birds are there now? We estimate around 1,900 birds. That is a great step from only a few dozen back in the 1950s. However, their habitat is slowly being encroached upon by humans, which might handicap further growth in the future.
16. What’s the role of tourism and the cranes? I think tourism is incredibly helpful for the birds. But there is a downside, as more people come to take pictures of the birds we have to remember they are still wild animals. When taking pictures, remember to not approach the cranes too closely and only do so from designated places.
17. Do they like all the attention from visitors? The wild cranes are skittish of humans. Cranes in captivity are less so. They are more receptive to staff. We have one crane who cannot fly at our center who won’t bond with another crane. We joke that she fell in love with her handler.
18. What’s a man-made challenge for the birds? Windmills mean increases in bird strikes, which can injure or kill cranes. Solar panels are also becoming popular, which limits where the birds can scavenge for food in the summer and winter. Too many solar panels in the wrong places mean less ground for the birds to raise their young. It’s not just the cranes but the many species of birds that live here or are migratory to this region.
19. What’s a special memory you have from your work? I have lots of special memories, both fun and sad. Once there was a husband and wife that came to visit the center and we talked a lot. They wanted a photo and so I sent them one in the mail. Later, a letter came back to me. It said thank you for sending the pictures but it also mentioned that the wife had suddenly passed away. The husband mentioned how special it was for one of their last trips together to be in a place that symbolized their commitment to each other.
20. As a woman doing what she loves, what advice do you have for girls pursuing their dreams? Experience, whether happy, sad or painful, makes you grow. I went through many hardships to get to the point where I am, those hardships are why I am here. Instead of trying to avoid our troubles, we should face them head on. When we do so, we improve as humans.
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