Karuizawa’s rich nature attracts a lot of wild birds. You can gaze upon about 80 kinds of wild birds year round in “Karuizawa National Wild Bird Sanctuary Forest”. Spring and summer are peak times, when you can observe many wild birds. The sounds of birds singing in the early morning of this season are just wonderful. In addition, the seasonal wild flowers are in full bloom, and wild animals such as the Japanese Serow and the Japanese giant flying squirrel live here.

As well as this, you can join and enjoy guided eco-tours while learning about the names of wild birds and flowers from a guide. Popular wild birds can be seen throughout the year such as the “Blue-and-white Flycatcher” which can be seen in spring and is known as a blue bird which calls in happiness. From summer to autumn you can see the “Turdus chrysolaus” which is a town bird of Karuizawa, and from autumn to winter you can see the “Japanese green woodpecker” an endemic species of Japan known as a forest guardian. For more information visit the “Picchio” website https://www.wildlife-picchio.com/

Karuizawa, surrounded by beautiful forests, also offers other spots for bird watching. You can observe the wild birds living along the mountain stream on “Seseragi Road” leading to “Sengataki Waterfall”. On a path about 1 km long going up north from the “Sezon Museum of Modern Art” to Sengataki Waterfall, you can enjoy wild birds singing together with the sound of stream in the background. It’s a true pleasure unique to Karuizawa to meet wild birds while being exposed to negative ions in the rich nature.