Aokigahara Jukai. The secrets beyond the trees.
Cherry blossoms are in full bloom at Lake Saiko.After the long winter, the season the wildlife has been waiting for has finally arrived. Japanese White-eyes and Bulbuls fly around seeking cherry nectar. Insects gather at the flowers too. The forest is full of life. The strong wind last night knocked down many branches. Sika deer …
Leaving Rausu, I headed south along the coastline towards the Notsuke Peninsula. On the sea, I spotted harlequin ducks, while Steller’s sea eagles and white-tailed eagles lined the shore. This peninsula, one of Japan’s largest sandspits, appears on the map as a fragile, slender thread of land jutting into the ocean. Driving further in, the …
Continue reading “An End is a Beginning: The Vanishing Land”
I recently travelled to Rausu and the Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido. When I first visited Shiretoko in winter about five years ago, I was simply overwhelmed by the sight of the Sea of Okhotsk covered in drift ice. At that time, I didn’t give much thought to its ecological role or the creatures living there. …
Continue reading “Life Comes Full Circle: The Blessings of Sea Ice”