A long deep whistle breaks the crisp morning air. Wheels slip for grip in the freshly fallen snow as the steam-powered train leaves Kushiro station in a cloud of thick smoke. This is the best way to enter the icy marshes, playground of the majestic red-crowned crane.

Winter sees Kushiro, an otherwise uninspiring coastal town in eastern Hokkaido, transformed into a wonderland. The area’s Kushiro Shitsugen National Park is home to the largest wetlands in Japan, and automobiles are strictly prohibited in an effort to preserve its ecosystem and pristine beauty. This is the home of the rare Japanese crane (Grus japonensis), and there is no better time to see them than when the ground is covered in snow. And the best way to accomplish this is with a seat on JR Hokkaido’s SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen-go, which passes through the marsh on its way to Shibecha.

You can read the full article here