Wildlife and culture n perfect armony
The Diamond route is the jewel in the crown of Japan’s main island, Honshu
There is nothing like the peace of a Japanese shrine, but the lively, cheery whistling of a nearby Narcissus Flycatcher undoubtedly adds to the atmosphere. There is nothing like the geometry of a Japanese garden, but the rich chestnut hues of the Varied Tit among the cherry blossoms aren’t far behind. There is little more relaxing than a Japanese outdoor bath or onsen, except when the delight is embellished by a Dusky Thrush flying over. In Japan, culture and wildlife meld together in perfect harmony.
There is a Japan beyond the thicklytrodden tourist routes around Tokyo and the well-watched wildlife fleshpots of Hokkaido and, where you can enjoy culture and birds in tranquil surroundings. It’s called the Diamond Route, in the middle of Japan’s main island of Honshu. Three prefectures (counties) north of the capital, offer a reduced tourist footfall with stunning cultural delights, plus the added bonus of some iconic Japanese birds.
Ibaraki lies north and east of Tokyo, and is mainly a land of lowlands and ricefields. Here, the nearby Pacific coast holds the famous Japanese Cormorant, the species which is domesticated by fishermen in some parts of the country, plus a classy suite of gulls including the Slaty-backed, with its bubblegum-pink legs. The gorgeous Harlequin Duck, an apparition straight out of Japanese art, winters here.
Ducks also abound just inland on Lake Kasumigaura and Lake Hinuma, especially in winter, while in the breeding season the marshes of the former hold the Japanese Marsh Warbler and Japanese Reed Bunting. The funky Japanese Wagtail, common everywhere, is a revelation.
Also in Ibaraki, the town of Mito boasts one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, the gorgeous Kairakuen, exploding with blossom in the spring and ablaze with reds and golds in autumn. Japanese and Varied Tits are common here, and you could well see a Hawfinch.
Not much further inland, the prefecture of Tochigi is much hillier, with swift rivers, waterfalls, hot springs and deep lakes. Glorious scenery and mindblowing culture mix together in the town of Nikko, especially the Tosho-gu shrine, a Shinto complex dating from 1617, when the military rulers were known as Shoguns, and used their wealth to create opulent buildings, with ornate carvings of rich colours. There is a unique five-storey pagoda and, on the stable of the sacred horses, a carving of the Three Wise Monkeys, who see, hear and speak no evil.
Take their advice: keep quiet, look and listen carefully and you might hear the mutterings of Brown-eared Bulbuls and the buzz of Japanese Robins.
Magnificent eagles
Further north the mountains get taller and the rivers faster. In summer the hills resound to semi-familiar voices: the Great Tit-like song of the Sakhalin Leaf Warblers, the jazzy Narcissus Flycatcher (like a Pied Flycatcher on steroids), and the cough of Japanese Pheasants. In winter, royalty sometimes visits; Lake Chuzenji may host the magnificent Steller’s Sea Eagle, hard to see away from Hokkaido. Solitary Snipe visit the highland bogs and rivers. Asiatic Dipper is common here, and you can hardly miss the ubiquitous Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker.
Fukushima is a large prefecture due north of Tokyo, and hosts a bit of everything, from mountains to the Pacific coast. One of the jewels in its cultural crown is Aizu-Wakamutsu, where a battle in 1868, part of the short-lived civil war known as the Boshin War, signalled the end of the Shoguns and, with them, the warriors known as the Samurai. There is a restored Samurai residence here and a castle set in a large park, where the colourful Japanese Green Woodpecker can be seen, and Eastern Spot-billed Ducks live in the moat. During the siege of the castle, a small group of teenage Samurai on a nearby hill spotted smoke and thought the fortress had fallen; they committed ritual suicide.
All is peaceful now and, if you sample the famous rice wine or sake at the nearby breweries, it is even more peaceful and will help your birding no end. A visit to Urubandai should produce Falcated Duck in winter, the amazing local Bullfinch – with pink cheeks! – and maybe a Japanese Waxwing. The superb bird park at Fukushima itself, Kotori-no-mori, is magnificent at all seasons, with Dusky, Pale and White’s Thrushes in winter, and Japanese Paradise Flycatcher in summer.
These are the carrots of the Diamond Route. Add in the astonishing food – with fish you’ve never heard of – the unfailing politeness of the locals and the high standard of everything, and you have a truly rich recipe for a fabulous holiday.
● More information: http://diamond route.jpn.org/birdwatching/index.html