Escape the cities to discover Japan's wildlife: red-crowned cranes, black bears, giant salamanders, manta rays and much, much more.

The beaches of Yakushima Island off the coast of Kyushu (the third-largest of Japan's four main islands) provide an important spawning ground for both Loggerhead and Green turtles, who come ashore in the summer to lay their eggs in the sand. Watching the babies hatch and make their way down to the ocean is one of the most amazing things you're ever likely to see on holiday!

Whilst you're unlikely to see a real tanuki during your time in Japan, you'll definitely see plenty of them in the form of statuettes outside bars, restaurants and businesses throughout Japan. Traditionally endowed with mythical powers such as shapeshifting, the tanuki is a raccoon dog native to Japan and has become a national symbol of luck and prosperity.