The sight of a red-crowned crane descending on a snowy field in the winter scenery of Hokkaido has become a hot topic. Many people are captivated by this photo that captures the precious moment when the crane gracefully spreads its wings.

There, a red-crowned crane is seen about to land on the snowy field. The moment when the crane spreads its wings wide was beautifully captured by photographer Mizutani Sonosuke, a second-year high school student. After posting it to social media, it received a flood of impressed comments such as "This is beautiful," "It could be a Japanese painting," and "This is a picture-like photo," and it has received nearly 8,000 likes.

A red-crowned crane soaring through the Hokkaido sky

The graceful figure of a red-crowned crane captured by Mizutani

The Japanese crane (Tancho, Red-crowned Crane), which can be found mainly in the eastern part of Hokkaido, is one of the largest wild birds in Japan, with a body length of about 140cm and a wingspan of 240cm. It is characterized by pure white feathers and a bright red top of the head, and its name "Tancho" comes from its appearance. At one time it was on the verge of extinction, but thanks to conservation efforts by local people, there are now about 1,500 Japanese crane living in Hokkaido. You can observe their beautiful appearance up close, especially in the Kushiro Marshlands, Tsurumidai in Tsurui Village, and the Akan International Crane Center.

You can also see them spreading their wings and dancing gracefully in a "courtship dance."

The so-called "courtship dance" seen during breeding season

During the breeding season, male and female Japanese cranes spread their wings wide and perform a "courtship dance" in which they jump around, and Mizutani also photographs this. The beautiful sight of Japanese cranes dancing in the wild of Hokkaido. If you visit Hokkaido, be sure to see it for yourself.