The Kushiro River that weaves through Kushiro-shitsugen National Park is often considered one of the best places to canoe in Japan. Photograph by Hokkaido District Transport Bureau 10.

Japan’s northernmost national park boasts a rich variety of landscapes that include mountains, sea cliffs, bogs, and coastal dunes. Mount Rishiri (also known as “Rishiri Fuji”) ...

When I arrived in Hokkaido, I flew into Kushiro, which is located near Kushiroshitsugen National Park. One of the biggest draws in this area is the red-crowned cranes ( Grus japonensis ).

Japan’s northernmost, ... the local population has now rebounded to over 1,000 — most can be spotted in the wetlands of Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, in eastern Hokkaido.

From northern Hokkaido all the way down to sunny Okinawa, here are the best national parks in Japan. RECOMMENDED: Discover the most beautiful places in Japan Park yourself here ...

On Hokkaido, this includes the majority of Daisetsuzan National Park and all of Mount Yotei. Daisetsuzan is the largest of Japan’s 34 national parks and is home to dozens of skinnable mountains ...

Torii gates at the entrance to Akan-Mashu National Park on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of Japan. The area has long been home to a concentrated population of Indigenous people, the Ainu.