13 places to see swans in Kanto
- Watching at the swamps and rice fields is free.
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The largest numbers of swans in Kanto are at Sugao Swamp (about 350 in a typical year) and Otsukaike Park (about 300) in Ibaraki, and at Kotoku Swamp (a record 320 in fiscal 2025). Watching at the swamps and rice fields is free, and early morning or evening is the usual time to go.
During the day the swans go off to nearby fields to feed. Naka City lists early morning (until about 7:00) and the hours before dusk as the best times to see them. This page compares 11 swamp and field sites for swans, plus 2 places where you can watch other winter waterbirds from indoors, by arrival season and parking.
How to choose where to see swans in Kanto (numbers, time of day, access)
- For the biggest numbers: Sugao Swamp (about 350 in a typical year), Kotoku Swamp (a record 320) and Otsukaike Park (about 300 in a typical year).
- To go in the daytime: Lake Senba has mute swans all year and is about 15 minutes on foot from the south exit of Mito Station.
- Close to Tokyo: the Oppe River in Kawajima, Saitama and Motono in Inzai, Chiba.
- To watch indoors on a cold day: Yatsu-higata Nature Observation Center and Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park.
Checked with official pages on November 1, 2026 (Japan time).
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1. Arrival season and numbers at 13 winter bird sites in Kanto
Swans are generally here from November to early March, and the two sites in Naka City, Ibaraki, can have swans until early April in some years. The numbers are typical figures from municipal and prefectural tourism pages and change from year to year. Tap a name to jump to its section. In the species column, Whooper means whooper swan, Tundra means tundra (Bewick’s) swan, and Mute means mute swan.
| Place | Prefecture | Season | Typical number | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sugao Swamp | Ibaraki | Late Oct to early Mar | About 350 | Tundra |
| Kotoku Swamp | Ibaraki | Early Nov to mid-Mar | About 160 | Whooper, Tundra |
| Ichinoseki Pond | Ibaraki | Early Nov to mid-Mar | About 60 | Whooper, Tundra |
| Otsukaike Park | Ibaraki | Until about late Mar | About 300 | Whooper, Tundra |
| Lake Senba | Ibaraki | Until about late Mar | About 50 | Whooper, Mute |
| Hakucho no Sato | Ibaraki | Late Nov to early Mar | About 60 (400 in January 2026) | Whooper, Tundra, Mute |
| Ottonuma Park | Ibaraki | Until about early Mar | About 30 | Tundra |
| Motono | Chiba | Nov to about Feb | About 1,000 in 2014 | Not stated |
| Tatara Swamp | Gunma | Mid-Nov to early Mar | Over 200 at the peak | Mostly Tundra |
| Oppe River | Saitama | Late Nov to early Mar | Sometimes over 100 | Not stated |
| Hanedanuma Swamp | Tochigi | Late Oct to about end of Mar | About 100 | Not stated |
| Yatsu-higata | Chiba | All year | Not stated | Waterbirds |
| Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park | Tokyo | All year | Around 120 species a year | Waterbirds, small birds |
“Not stated” in the table means the pages we checked do not give that item. You can check the number on the day at each city’s page on swan arrivals.
2. Things to know when watching swans in Kanto (time of day, travel, moving between swamps)
- The best times are early morning and evening. Both Itako City and Naka City say the swans move to the surrounding rice fields during the day.
- Four sites are clustered in Mito City and Naka City: Lake Senba, Otsukaike Park, Kotoku Swamp and Ichinoseki Pond. Otsukaike Park is about 5 minutes from Mito IC, and Ichinoseki Pond is about 5 minutes from Naka IC.
- Swans move between swamps. Tatebayashi City says they go back and forth between Tatara Swamp and Shiro Swamp, so if they are not at one, head for the other.
- The most swans are present from January to February. Itako City records the peak in mid to late January, and Tatebayashi City in late January to early February. They start flying north in March.
- Few sites are within walking distance of a station. Lake Senba is about 15 minutes from the south exit of Mito Station, but Tatara Swamp is about 2 km (25 minutes on foot) from Tobu’s Tatara Station, and Sugao Swamp is a 25-minute walk from a bus stop.
3. Seven swan sites in Ibaraki
Sugao Swamp (Bando City and Joso City)
It has many tundra swans, and the observation point Bando City lists is Tenjinyama, which has parking. The swans arrive around the end of October each year, increase gradually and stay until early March. Tenjinyama is about 800 m from National Route 354, and you can also watch near the Museum Park Ibaraki Nature Museum.
By train and bus, take an Ibakyu Bus from Atago Station on the Tobu Noda Line, or a Kanto Railway bus from the west exit of Moriya Station on the Tsukuba Express, to the Heta-sansaro stop, then walk 25 minutes. By car it is about 20 minutes from Yawara IC on the Joban Expressway.
| Name | Sugao Swamp (Tenjinyama) |
|---|---|
| Address | Bando City and Joso City, Ibaraki (Tenjinyama) |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Phone | 0297-20-8666 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Kotoku Swamp (Naka City)
Whooper swans first arrived in 1966 (Showa 41), and the record in fiscal 2025 was 320. Naka City gives the best times as early morning until about 7:00 and the hours before dusk. The parking lot has about 50 spaces and takes large buses. By car it is about 20 minutes from Mito IC on the Joban Expressway.
| Name | Kotoku Swamp |
|---|---|
| Address | Naka City, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Phone | 029-298-1111 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Ichinoseki Pond Waterside Park (Naka City)
Swans first arrived in 1984 (Showa 59), and the record is 166 in fiscal 2000. The parking lot has about 10 spaces. A thatched-roof “Naka City Magariya” farmhouse has been moved into the park. By car it is about 5 minutes from Naka IC on the Joban Expressway.
| Name | Ichinoseki Pond Waterside Park |
|---|---|
| Address | Naka City, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Phone | 029-298-1111 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Otsukaike Park (Mito City)
Ibaraki’s tourism guide says about 300 whooper and tundra swans come in a typical year. They stay until about late March, and by car it is about 5 minutes from Mito IC on the Joban Expressway.
| Name | Otsukaike Park |
|---|---|
| Address | Otsukamachi, Mito City, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Phone | 029-244-2888 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Lake Senba (Mito City)
Mute swans are here all year, and whooper swans come in winter. The lake is about 3 km around. It is about 15 minutes on foot from the south exit of Mito Station, or about 3 minutes on foot from the “Senbako” stop of buses from stop 6 at the north exit. There is a parking lot, and by car it is about 20 minutes from Mito IC.
| Name | Lake Senba |
|---|---|
| Address | 3080 Senbacho, Mito City, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Hakucho no Sato (Itako City, shore of Lake Kitaura)
Six swans first arrived in 1981 (Showa 56), and on January 12, 2026 a count found 400 (350 whooper swans and 50 tundra swans). The usual peak is mid to late January. Itako City publishes the numbers on its swan arrival page (Japanese). By car it is about 15 minutes from Itako IC on the Higashi-Kanto Expressway.
| Name | Hakucho no Sato (shore of Lake Kitaura) |
|---|---|
| Address | Mizuhara, Itako City, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Phone | 0299-63-1111 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Ottonuma Park (Tsuchiura City)
About 30 tundra swans come in a typical year. There is a free parking lot, and by car it is about 15 minutes from Sakura-Tsuchiura IC on the Joban Expressway.
| Name | Ottonuma Park |
|---|---|
| Address | Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Phone | 029-824-2810 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
4. Four swan sites in Chiba, Gunma, Saitama and Tochigi
Motono swans (Inzai City, Chiba)
The Inzai City newsletter of January 2014 says about 1,000 swans come each year to the farmland at Kasagami in Inzai. The local guide site Chiba Hokuso Parque (Japanese) reports that the lease for the paddies that were kept flooded for swans for many years has ended, and the place where the swans gather has changed since 2024. The city’s walking map, the “Motono Swan Course” (about 5.4 km, about 80 minutes), is a route where swans can be seen from November to about February. The swans gather in the paddies, and there is no dedicated parking lot.
| Name | Motono swans (Kasagami paddies) |
|---|---|
| Address | Kasagami, Inzai City, Chiba |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Tatara Swamp and Gaba Swamp (Tatebayashi City and Ora Town, Gunma)
Tatebayashi City says they are mainly tundra swans with a few whooper swans. The observation points are Yuhi no Komichi (the northeast shore of Tatara Swamp), Gaba Swamp and Ama Swamp. In recent years the peak has been from late January to early February, sometimes over 200. In a survey in February 2026, one day’s count at Tatara Swamp was 159. Around the observation points there are areas with unstable footing and private land, and Tatebayashi City asks visitors not to feed the swans and not to bring pets.
| Name | Tatara Swamp and Gaba Swamp |
|---|---|
| Address | Tatebayashi City and Ora Town, Gunma |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Oppe River swan site (Kawajima Town, Saitama)
The Kawajima Town map says swans arrive on the riverbed of the Oppe River, with more than 100 at peak times. The season is from late November to early March. The contact is the Agriculture and Industry Division of Kawajima Town.
| Name | Oppe River swan site |
|---|---|
| Address | Kawajima Town, Hiki District, Saitama |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Phone | 049-299-1760 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Hanedanuma Swamp (Otawara City, Tochigi)
One of the leading swan sites in Tochigi, with about 100 swans according to Tochi Navi, and Otawara City’s plan also lists it as a swamp where swans spend the winter. There is a parking lot and a public toilet.
| Name | Hanedanuma Swamp |
|---|---|
| Address | Haneda, Otawara City, Tochigi |
| Hours / Closed | Free to visit |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
5. Two places to see winter birds other than swans indoors
Yatsu-higata Nature Observation Center (Narashino City, Chiba)
You can look out over the tidal flat from the all-glass building, so you can watch birds on rainy or cold days. Rangers are on site, and binoculars can be borrowed free of charge. It is about 20 minutes on foot from Shin-Narashino Station or Minami-Funabashi Station on the Keiyo Line. There is a free parking lot along the down lane of National Route 357.
| Name | Yatsu-higata Nature Observation Center |
|---|---|
| Address | 5-chome Akitsu, Narashino City, Chiba (inside Yatsu-higata Park) |
| Hours / Closed | 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30; closed Mondays, or the following weekday if a holiday; closed December 28–January 1) |
| Phone | 047-454-8416 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park (Ota City, Tokyo)
Around 120 species of wild birds are seen each year, and you can rest in the Nature Center. From November 1 to January 31 the park closes at 16:30. Take a Keikyu Bus from the east exit of JR Omori Station or from Keikyu Heiwajima Station. The free parking lot has 23 spaces on weekdays and Saturday mornings, and 40 on Saturday afternoons, Sundays and holidays.
Fees and hours may change.
| Name | Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park |
|---|---|
| Address | 3-1 Tokai, Ota City, Tokyo |
| Hours / Closed | November 1–January 31: 9:00–16:30, February 1–October 31: 9:00–17:00 (last entry 30 min before closing; closed Mondays, or the following weekday if Monday is a holiday or Tokyo Citizens Day; closed year-end and New Year holidays) |
| Phone | 03-3799-5031 |
| Map | Open in Google Maps ↗ |
| Official site | Open the official site ↗ |
↑ Back to the comparison table
Sources
21 pages we checked
- www.city.bando.lg.jp
- www.ibarakiguide.jp
- www.city.naka.lg.jp
- www.city.mito.lg.jp
- www.ibarakiguide.jp
- www.ibarakiguide.jp
- www.ibarakiguide.jp
- www.city.itako.lg.jp
- www.city.itako.lg.jp
- www.city.inzai.lg.jp
- inzaiparque.com
- www.city.tatebayashi.gunma.jp
- www.pref.gunma.jp
- www.town.kawajima.saitama.jp
- www.tochinavi.net
- www.city.narashino.lg.jp
- www.seibu-la.co.jp
- www.tptc.co.jp
- www.tptc.co.jp
- www.tptc.co.jp
- Japanese version of this page (日本語版)
Checked with official pages on November 1, 2026 (Japan time).
