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"How Romantic" - A Red-Crowned Crane's Courtship Dance That Started Right in Front of an Observer is a Hot Topic: "Wonderful!" "Truly Elegant"
On my way home, a red-crowned crane courtship began right in front of me, so I watched the whole thing.
May they live happily ever after.
From a post by @hkp_hokkaido
The video shows red-crowned cranes that have landed all over a road. Their appearance is truly magical as they call out to one another, spread their great wings, and perform their courtship ritual as if dancing. As more cranes began to gather in the area, many people found themselves captivated by this "miraculous moment" unfolding in the wild.
The post has received about 10,000 reposts, with a flood of comments such as "Incredible!", "How romantic," and "Truly elegant."
"It Made Me Feel Happy, Too," Says Poster 'Doto no Yachibozu-san'
Here is another photo of red-crowned cranes taken by the poster, "Doto no Yachibozu-san," on a different day.
The person who filmed this scene is "Doto no Yachibozu-san," a resident of the Eastern Hokkaido (Doto) area. The location was the outskirts of Doto, and it was filmed in early May 2026, right around the time the cherry blossoms began to bloom.
On the way back from an outing, Doto no Yachibozu-san spotted the white figures of red-crowned cranes amidst the greenery and stopped the car for a while to watch. After starting to drive again, they spotted another crane up ahead. They stopped the car a short distance away, and suddenly, the cranes began calling to each other right before their eyes and proceeded to perform their courtship dance.
Recalling the moment, Doto no Yachibozu-san shared the following:
While it's not unusual to see red-crowned cranes around the Kushiro Wetlands, you can't normally get this close. And this was the first time I'd ever seen them dance right in front of me. Both cranes looked so happy, puffing up their wings and calling out, and it made me feel happy, too. I felt the energy of life in the sound of their calls echoing around. It was a truly wonderful memory.
A Miraculous Wildlife Encounter Only Possible in Hokkaido
In Hokkaido, you can encounter a variety of wild animals, including Ezo deer, Ezo red foxes, and white-tailed eagles. Among them, the red-crowned crane, known as the *tancho* in Japan, is one of Hokkaido's most iconic birds and is designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan. The courtship dance that went viral is a behavior performed to strengthen the bond between a pair, characterized by the cranes spreading their wings and calling back and forth to each other.
This chance encounter in Hokkaido's unique natural environment has moved the hearts of many.
Interview and photos courtesy of: Doto no Yachibozu
・X (formerly Twitter): @hkp_hokkaido
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