Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park (釧路湿原国立公園, Kushiro-Shitsugen Kokuritsu Kōen) is a national park in the eastern part of Hokkaido, Japan. It was named a national park on July 31, 1987. The park is famous for its wetlands, which are important ecosystems.
Kushiro-shitsugen, also called Kushiro Wetlands, covers 268.61 square kilometers (103.71 mi²) on the Kushiro Plain. It has the largest areas of reedbeds in Japan. The Kushiro River, which is 154 kilometers (96 mi) long, flows through much of the park. The river begins in Lake Kussharo. In 1980, during the Ramsar Convention, Japan registered the park as a special wetland with raised bogs. In 1967, the wetlands were already named a national natural monument. Because of this, visitors are limited, and the landscape, which is typical of Hokkaido, has been protected.
The area was the setting for the 2014 Studio Ghibli film When Marnie Was There.
Wildlife
The plants in the park include reeds, sedges, peat moss wetlands, and black alder thickets. The rivers curve in different directions, and the area includes groups of lakes, marshes, and other wetland ecosystems, creating a diverse environment. Kushiro-shitsugen has more than 600 plant species. The park is an important place for wildlife, including the red-crowned crane (Grus japonensis), huchen (Hucho perryi), Siberian salamander (Salamandrella keyserlingii), and dragonfly (Leucorrhinia intermedia ijimai).
Megasolar issue
Approximately 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) south of the park, large solar farms are built because the area is a good location for solar farms. Some environmental groups and local residents are worried about the effects on the environment caused by the solar farms.
Related cities, towns, and villages
- Kushiro Subprefecture
- Kushiro, Hokkaidō (town)
- Shibecha, Hokkaidō
- Tsurui, Hokkaidō