Bekanbeushi Marsh is located between the cities of Kushiro and Nemuro in the eastern part of Hokkaido. “Bekanbeushi (bekanbe-usi)” means “the place with a lot of water chestnuts” in the Ainu language.

The marsh is about 8,300 ha in total area, and is the 3rd largest wetland in Japan. Located only about 50 km away from Japan’s largest wetland, Kushiro Shitsugen, it hadn’t been paid attention to until 1993, when it was designated to be a Ramsar Site. This is one of the few places where the environmental conditions lay untouched by human hands since the ancient times.

The marsh is the paradise of wildlife. Especially, it is a large-scale breeding ground for red-crowned cranes. They build nests and breed in every part of the marsh. Across the street from the marsh stands the Akkeshi Waterfowl Observation Center, where you can observe what is happening on the marsh via a large screen whose image is relayed by observation camera. From the observation corner, you will be impressed by the spectacular sight of red-crowned cranes and many seasonal birds breeding.