Enjoy Stunning Scenery at the Sarobetsu Wetland

The Sarobetsu Wetland, located on the Sea of Japan coast in the northernmost part of Hokkaido, is the third-largest wetland in Japan. It is also the largest high moor in the country, and a slight natural oddity as high moors usually appear at even higher mountain altitudes. The Sarobetsu Wetland is part of the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, and you can get panoramic views of the park’s landscape colored by seasonal flowers with Mt. Rishiri towering over the horizon. Hundreds of varieties of wildflower bloom from spring through autumn changing the shades of the scenery over the course of the year. Because of its importance as a stopover point and breeding area for many migratory birds, Sarobetsu was added to the Ramsar List of Wetlands of International Importance in 2005. Grassland birds such as the common stonechat, reed bunting, and Siberian rubythroat visit and breed in the early summer. Bean geese and tundra swans stop by on their migration route every spring and autumn. While Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles visit the area in the winter when the land is hidden under heavy snowfall.