DATE                     15.02 - 25.02 (extension Feb 28) (11 + 3 days)

GENRE                  Wildlife and landscapes                  

TOUR LEADER      Morten Jørgensen (MOJO) & Michael Westerbjerg                                     Andersen. The language we speak on our tours is                                     English

FEE                       From 6,250 USD pr. person in shared DBL room 

EXTENSION FEE   From 700 USD pr. person in shared DBL room

SINGLE SUPPL.    800 USD, +250 USD for extension           

DEPOSIT               Please pay a 20% deposit (US$ 1,250. -) per person                                 when booking;

                              Please pay a further 40% (US$ 2,500,-) per person 6                               months prior to tour

                              Please pay the balance 3 months prior to tour   VISA                     Depending on country of origin. Information when                                    booking the tour

VACCINATION      (pr.03.03.2024; can change): Yes, against COVID-19                                  (If no vaccination PCR-test might be needed). Japan                                is currently (early 2023) still wearing masks in most                                situations. The expectation is that we wear masks                                  when moving about indoors (i.e., shops, hotel lobbies,                              etc.), on public transportation, on domestic flights,                                  etc. Although most Japanese also wear masks                                          outdoors, this is not a requirement. As this might                                    change, we will inform further closer to the departure                              time. Masks are readily available in most shops. 

                             Miksture will keep updating

GROUP SIZE        4-8 guests plus your 2 tour leaders Michael                                              Westerbjerg Andersen & Morten Jørgensen. The tours                              will go ahead with or more 4 guests

LEVEL                  Physical requirements include being willing and able                              to get up early and enduring cold conditions. Apart                                from that easy to moderate. Generally walking will                                  be limited, and the days are not too long (ca 12 hours                              of daylight in the south, 10 hours in the north). We do                              however expect to be out all day most days. See                                      below for further details. Should you have any                                          physical limitations, please notify us in advance of                                  departure. Non-photographing partners will also love                              this tour!

DESCRIPTION     Japan’s winter birds would be a highlight in the life of                             any ornithologist, and the photographic                                                   opportunities they offer are a gift to any wildlife                                     photographer. Whether you are an aspiring amateur or                             a full-on professional, the spectacles you will witness                            will challenge and reward you 

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                           One could easily spend a week at each of a variety of                              wondrous locations. To maximize the chances for you                              to see a great diversity of species and scenes within                              the time limits of a modern-day traveler, we have                                    tailored a program with 2-3 nights at each of the four                             absolute top Japan winter bird locations (leaving you                             to decide if you wish to visit the Honshu ‘snow                                         monkeys’ as an add-on). 

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                         We believe that by focusing on fewer locations, with                                longer stays at each, plus by allotting two guides and                            vehicles to such small groups, we can better facilitate                            you getting into the subject matters and finding                                      inspiration to create your very own unique images.                                  Also, this way, there is much less time and effort spent                          traveling, packing, unpacking, etc.

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                        Please note that we, Michael, and Morten, are your tour                           organizers and providers, your location and bird ID                                   guides, and your drivers, but we are not photo                                         instructors

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PHOTO HIGHLIGHTS AND FOCUS EVENTS

• ​1000's of White-naped Cranes and Hood Cranes

• 100's of Red Crowned Cranes

• scores of 100's of Steller's sea eagles and White-tailed eagles

• cold winter mornings with the ice crystals sparking on the trees

• up-close encounters with species such as the Red-Crowned Cranes, White-named and Hooded Cranes, Sika Deer, Ezo Red Fox, Steller's Sea eagles and White-tailed eagles

• scores of 100's of Whooper Swans in winter wonderland Hokkaido landscapes

• maximum amount of time in the field, positioning ourselves for the photo opportunities of a lifetime!

•  breathtaking landscapes and Shinto architectural, cultural photo opportunities

• breathtaking mountainous landscapes of Hokkaido’s northwest. Comprising of Akanko, Kushiroko, and Mashuko Lakes, which are among the clearest and cleanest on our planet

• winter wonderland landscape Hokkaido, Japan

• lush Kyushu broad-leaf forests 

• excellent cuisine

• onsen - hot springs

• hundreds of spectacular images of eagles clutching fish in their talons in flight and while feasting - eagles in strife. 

• extraordinarily beautiful sunrises and sunsets

• small group - flexible, with plenty of time and respect for your photographing

• 3 x boat trips in Rausu for photographing the eagles

• 2 expert tour leaders with 25+ years expedition experience  

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EXTENSION HIGHLIGHTS

100+ wild Japanese Macaque’s up close, with all their antics on display – bathing, playing, mating, fighting, feeding, etc.; drives through central Honshu from coastal Tokyo to mountainous Jigokudani

 

ADDITIONAL NOTEWORTHY SPECIES POTENTIALLY OFFERING PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES 

Up to ca. 18 species of ducks in their finest plumages including superb specialties such as Mandarin, Falcated, Eastern Spot-billed, Baikal Teal, Harlequin, Siberian and Black Scoters and Long-tailed Duck; 3 species of heron/egret; Eurasian and Black-faced Spoonbills; Osprey, Black-eared Kite and Eastern Buzzard; a further 3 species of crane (rare but annual - Siberian, Common and Sandhill); Northern Lapwing, Long-billed Plover, Solitary Snipe; a great variety of gulls including Saunder’s, Black-tailed, Kamchatka, Vega, Slaty-backed, Glaucous-winged and Glaucous; Oriental Turtle-Dove; Ural Owl; Common and Crested Kingfisher; 3 species of woodpecker (Japanese Pygmy, White-backed, Great Spotted) with another 2 possible (Black and Japanese Green); Bull-headed Shrike; Daurian Jackdaw, Eastern Rook, Jungle Crow; Bohemian and Japanese Waxwings; 7 species of ‘tit’ including Varied, Japanese and Chinese Penduline; Brown-eared Bulbul; Japanese Bush Warbler; Japanese White-eye; White-cheeked Starling; 3 species of thrush; Daurian Redstart; Brown Dipper; Russet and Eurasian Tree Sparrows; 3 species of wagtail; Buff-bellied Pipit; Oriental Greenfinch; 5 species of bunting (Meadow, Chestnut-eared, Rustic, Elegant, Masked) with another 3 possible (Grey, Japanese Reed and Common Reed). 

 

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS Drives through the forested rural southern Kyushu. A variety of winter sceneries of central and eastern Hokkaido (coniferous forest, mountainous with volcanic plateaux, frozen freshwater lakes, volcanic caldera lakes, Pacific Ocean coastline and agricultural plains, coastal roads, fishing harbors, etc.). Japanese cuisine and Onsen (public thermal baths). Japanese efficiency, hospitality, and courtesy. The friendly and personal guiding services of Mic and Mojo.

 

Joining one of MOJO and MIKSTURE photo tours, you are going to have the very best opportunities to photograph the wildlife and pristine winter landscapes. Sunrises and sunsets are extraordinarily beautiful along with Hokkaido's coastline and glistening snow. Here, you can photograph what is commonly called ‘diamond dust,’ when the light catches the shimmer of the crystalline snow, you will have pictures that shine with the magic that only a Japanese winter can provide, but the natural phenomena do not end there. ‘Sun pillars’ and ‘light pillars' can also be seen when the ice crystals are drifting in the atmosphere above the frozen plains of Hokkaido. A final treat is the ‘snow rollers’ when chunks of snow are blown along the ground by the wind, etching a message into the pristine snow for you to commemorate with your camera. We enjoy comfortable accommodation and cuisine, but most important: We enjoy the maximum amount of time in the field, while other tour groups are slumbering or in seminars, we will be in the field positioning ourselves for the photo opportunities of a lifetime!

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EXPECTED CLIMATE In Hokkaido, humid continental climate zone i.e. icy/snowy winters. Average January temperature ranges from -12 to -4 degrees Celsius (10,4 to 24,8 degrees F). In Kyushu, the temperatures will probably not drop below freezing, or only at night if they do. Daytime expected temperatures +5-15C (40-60F). In Hokkaido, expect daytime temperatures between –10 and +5 C (15-40F).  springy (Kyushu) and very wintery (Hokkaido). There is a good chance that we will not have much rain, but we may have much snow. Although high pressures are common, with blue skies and low winds, for sure we may also experience the passage of low-pressure systems with cold winds and more precipitation. The weather may ultimately alter our program (see also T&C).

 

TOUR PACE & TRANSPORT Moderate to easy. Domestic flights between Tokyo, Kyushu, and Hokkaido. Two comfortable vehicles from airports to accommodation, and every day from accommodation and into the adventure and back again. There will be ample space for everyone to have a window seat in the vehicles as well as for our luggage.

 

ACCOMMODATION Comfortable minshukus (guesthouses) and hotels

A variety of accommodation types have been chosen for a variety of reasons. Proximity to the main action – the wildlife and the photography scenes – has been priority. Location, location, location. Being close to the subject, there is less times spent in transit, at other times more freedom gained for each of you to decide what you want to do and when. The opportunity for the cultural experience of a traditional Japanese homestay or a classy Onsen (thermal spring public bath ‘hotel’) has also been taken into consideration. We will also have a few nights in a modern ‘western-style’ 3-star hotel.The fully automated and heated-seats toilets of Japan are also world famous. Don’t miss out on the experience of the ‘posterior spray’!

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Generally, we will book twin doubles, but single accommodation is possible against a fee (Solo Rate) (see below for details). If you are a single traveler and are ok to share, we will attempt to pair you with a same-sex co-traveler. If that is not possible, the single supplement fee (Solo Rat) will apply (se also Terms & Conditions (T&C)). At several of our locations, there will be the option of the use of an ‘Onsen’. These are the world-famous traditional Japanese public thermally heated warm baths. A string of guidelines applies (and slightly varying from one Onsen to the next). We can discuss that further at the time. Do pack bathing suits/trunks for the outdoor/shared ones.

 

JAPANESE CUISINE is excellent. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: washoku) is based on rice with miso soup and other dishes; there is an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Side dishes often consist of fish, pickled vegetables, and vegetables cooked in broth. Seafood is common, often grilled, but also served raw as sashimi or in sushi. Five traditional dishes from Japan. Sushi - a popular dish in Japan; also well loved in the Western world. Tempura - commonly made by deep-frying seafood, vegetables, or prawns in vegetable oil after applying a coating of egg, water, and wheat flour. Sashimi - fresh raw fish or meat sliced into thin pieces and often eaten with soy sauce. Miso soup - traditional umami-rich stock made from dried seaweed and dried fish. Miso paste, meanwhile, is a paste made by soybeans, salt and koji-rice. Soba and Udon Noodles; Hokkaido is known for it's ramen-noodle soup. We will have opportunities to try regional specialities at various locations on the tour. 

 

Your breakfasts and dinners are included in the tour (see below for details). On most occasions, these meals will be Japanese style. Japanese food is many things. At some locations, there will not be much of a choice (set menus). Expect to sample a lot of tastes, many kinds of seafoods, various soups, pickled vegetables, etc. The staple is generally white rice. There is usually no vegetarian option. You will return home, a very delightful cuisine experience richer.

 

Whereas breakfast and dinner are included, we have decided that lunches are best enjoyed ‘on the fly’. The days are relatively short, and we wish to give you opportunity to maximize the time spent outdoors and behind the camera. If we were to include lunch daily, we would have to leave the birds and head somewhere else, wait for the food to be served, and consumed, and then later drive back out again. Instead, we suggest that lunch can be a ‘snack’ type meal, which we will let you select and purchase by yourselves at one of the local kiosk-type stores (think 7/11 or similar). Grab a bottled drink or two, a couple of sandwiches, some prefab sushi, or a few tasty rice-balls, and bring it with you in the cars to enjoy in the field.

CULTURE Japanese culture is intricate; sophisticated and simple, ancient, and modern, tradition-bound, and flexible. We will mostly be focused on wildlife and wilderness, but we will meet the people and their ways as well. The Japanese do not expect foreigners to be able to fully understand or follow their customs, but a few are important to know about. In general, it is considered polite to be gentle, quiet, yielding, unobtrusive. We will appreciate this often as we meet it, but don’t forget that the locals will appreciate it from us as well. Most Japanese speak little to no English. Most foreigners speak no Japanese. Learning a few of the most common words and phrases will be highly appreciated. Sign language and the generally very friendly and helpful attitude will do the rest. Depending on where we are, there will be expectations of shoes off, slippers on, different slippers for bathroom visits, etc. Please show consideration and follow the instructions. We will help you to do the right thing.

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OTHER ATTRACTIONS Spectacular scenery, hot baths in onsens at various accommodations, fabulous cuisine and fantastic wildlife

 

Internet is widely available, stable, and fast.

 

SIM cards can be purchased at the airport.

 

The power plug sockets are of the same kind as used in North America (photo), i.e., different from the European ones. Regardless, an international travel adaptor is a good item to pack. The standard voltage in Japan is 100.

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PHOTOGRAPHIC OPPORTUNITIES World-class!

SCHEDULED 2024 DEPARTURE 15.02 - 25.02 2024 (extension to 28.02)

 

Tour Leader: Morten Jørgensen and Michael Westerbjerg Andersen

 

Tour price (per person): from USD 6.250

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Contact: miksture@miksture.com and/or ursmar2015@gmail.com (Morten)