A great introduction to springtime Japan, timed to coincide with the arrival of avian summer visitors, with lovely scenery the backdrop to our birding.
Important Note: We look forward to birding with you! To see the most recent update of our pre-tour and on-tour protocols and our requirements for travel, please visit our tour protocols page.
The islands of Japan lie at the eastern edge of Eurasia and cover a diverse range of habitats, from the sub-tropical 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 endemics, plus a useful sprinkling of Japanese mainland endemics and of course the huge, marvelous, and rare Blakiston's Fish-Owl, and you have the makings of a truly memorable visit. We will have great views of Mt Fuji and do some birding on the slopes of this gorgeous place too. Besides Amami and Okinawa, we'll also visit little-known Ishigaki island in the far south, which has which has several very rarely seen endemics in Iriomote Serpent-Eagle and two recent splits yet to be adopted by Clements, Orii's (Varied) Tit and the distinctive Ishigaki Tit.
Japanese culture is also a feature of the trip, with one or two of our lodgings in 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 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 2024, with details including limits, guides, fees, and space available listed below.
2023
May 13-30, 2023 Guided by: Phil Gregory & local guide Tour Manager: Ruth Kuhl Tour Limit: 7 Status: Provisionally full; waitlist available - This tour is provisionally full. However, we are awaiting deposits from some of those booked, so space may open 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: $10100 Deposit: $1000 REQUEST WAITLIST OR MORE INFO
2024
May 11-28, 2024 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 / 2023=$10100 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 1 most recent Field Guides triplists for this tour linked below!