A great introduction to springtime Japan, timed to coincide with the arrival of avian summer visitors, with lovely scenery the backdrop to our birding.
The islands of Japan lie at the eastern edge of Eurasia and cover a diverse range of habitats, from the subtropical Ryukyu Islands to the almost Siberian taiga-like wilds of Hokkaido. Japan is a surprisingly mountainous and wooded land, with beautiful varied coastlines and very heavily populated lowlands, where tiny rice fields dot the landscape amidst the rural dwellings. Add to this the seabirds, migrant warblers, alcids, and the Izu and Ryukyu Islands (Amami and Okinawa) endemics, plus a useful sprinkling of Japanese mainland endemics and of course the huge, marvelous, and rare Blakiston's Fish-Owl. We have several days on beautiful Hokkaido in spring, a complete contrast to the winter desolation, with two short boat trips for some exciting alcids, sea otters, and Brown Bear. We'll also have great views of Mount Fuji and do some birding on or near the slopes of this gorgeous place. It will be a memorable trip.
Japanese culture is also a feature of the trip, with one of our lodgings in a traditional Japanese guest-houses or minshuku, with sliding walls, tatami rush matting, and futon bedding, while a couple of the hotels have the in-house onsen deep hot-spring baths. The food is also very distinctive, with a fantastic selection of sauces for the elaborate fish, rice, and vegetable dishes which make up the traditional cuisine, and we will have some memorable and varied meals.
This tour is ideal for photography and video, with beautiful scenery and light and some large, spectacular species at close range.
Select the KEY INFO tab or click here for our itinerary plus space requests, status, fees, limits, and guides for any departure.
Combo Tours If you would like a longer birding holiday, some departures of this tour may be combined with: TAIWAN
ITINERARIES • TOUR STATUS • DETAILS • SPACE REQUESTS
ITINERARIES • We issue a separate itinerary for each year, typically at least 9 months before that year's first departure. Most itineraries don't vary much year to year, but there may be small or rarely more substantive changes. A sample previous-year itinerary is usually available even if the one for your chosen departure is not. We do not require any deposit for provisional bookings until the itinerary for the departure is ready.
DEPARTURES • We have 2 departures currently scheduled through 2026, with details including limits, guides, fees, and space available listed below.
2025
May 10-27, 2025 Guided by: Phil Gregory & local guide Tour Manager: Ruth Kuhl Tour Limit: 7 Status: Provisionally full; waitlist available - The itinerary has not been finalized for this tour. The trip has provisionally filled but, if you are interested, we can waitlist you for the trip. As we do not require deposits until the itinerary and price are finalized, we often have folks drop off a tour when the deposit is required, and so space opens up! Click below to be waitlisted for this tour with no obligation; if you are waitlisted, we will also notify you in case of an added departure of this tour. Tour Fee: Fee TBD / 2024=$10675 REQUEST WAITLIST OR MORE INFO
2026
May 9-26, 2026 Guide: TBA Tour Manager: Ruth Kuhl Tour Limit: 7 Status: Provisionally full; waitlist available - The itinerary has not been finalized for this tour. The trip has provisionally filled but, if you are interested, we can waitlist you for the trip. As we do not require deposits until the itinerary and price are finalized, we often have folks drop off a tour when the deposit is required, and so space opens up! Click below to be waitlisted for this tour with no obligation; if you are waitlisted, we will also notify you in case of an added departure of this tour. Tour Fee: Fee TBD / 2024=$10675 REQUEST WAITLIST OR MORE INFO
ABOUT OUR TRIPLISTS • After every tour we issue an annotated triplist of the birds recorded on the trip, illustrated with wonderful images (and sometimes video clips) from the tour's participants and guides.
Enjoy looking through the 3 most recent Field Guides triplists for this tour linked below!