The Sad Fate of Japan’s Red-crowned Crane
And how the “living rivers” movement could save them
First time visitors to Japan usually arrive hoping to experience the natural wonders pictured so beautifully everywhere. But like so many others, my first impression of Japan left me disappointed. All I could see was a vast expanse of concrete structures enmeshed in a tangle of unsightly power lines. As the scenery rushed by at Shinkansen speed, the blur of rooftops, crowded train platforms, and the blinking lights of pachinko parlors seemed endless. Getting over that shock took time.
At first blush, the claim that Japan was peopled by eco-conscious citizens striving to live sustainably seemed to ring hollow. It was hard to see ecology-minded behavior in the convenience store world of fast food, plastic wrap, and disposable bento trays. How was I to reconcile these two opposing realities?
My hot take was simple: Japan, a small country dominated by mountains with a limited amount of arable land, was simply overpopulated. But while this premise was plausible, it was not the whole picture, as I would eventually discover.
As I began experiencing things at a more pedestrian speed, the country’s sincere respect for nature began to reveal itself.
