Kushiro, Japan cruises

Once the base of Japan’s largest fishing fleets, Kushiro, ‘The City of Mist’, is your gateway to the pristine natural beauty of the Kushiro Wetlands and Akan national parks.

Kushiro is surrounded by breath-taking natural beauty, which is often overlaid with a thick mist, giving it a surreal feel. This one-time prosperous fishing port is now known for its stunning Kushiro Wetlands and Akan national parks – and its endangered, Japanese red-crowned cranes. 

Home to some of the most unspoiled scenery and wildlife habitats in Japan, the Kushiro Wetlands cover over 70-square miles and teem with a wide array of plants and animals. It is also home to the graceful red-crowned cranes, the only place they can be seen in Japan. Thought to be extinct by scientists 70 years ago, several pairs are thriving in the wetlands. 

Akan National Park, boasts three caldera lakes: Lake Akan, Lake Kussharo, and Lake Mashu. Lake Akan is one of the most beautiful caldera lakes in Japan and renowned for its marimo (moss balls). The lake also features Ainu Kotan, a small Ainu village (indigenous people of Hokkaido), where you can enjoy their traditional folk arts and crafts.