Tour
Japan Snow Monkeys and Hokkaido Tour & Workshop
Run by Martin Bailey Photography · 12 days · Up to 14 people · Jan–Feb
About
Twelve-day annual winter wildlife tour and workshop led by Tokyo-based British photographer Martin Bailey. It covers cranes around Kushiro and Akan, swans at Lake Kussharo, sea eagles from Rausu and the Notsuke Peninsula, then finishes with the Jigokudani snow monkeys in Nagano.
What you can photograph
From this listing
| Subject | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Fox | Peak | Peak | Outside the window | Outside the window | Outside the window | In season | In season | In season | Outside the window | Outside the window | Outside the window | Outside the window |
Open months
| Month | Presence |
|---|---|
| Jan | Peak |
| Feb | Peak |
| Mar | Outside the window |
| Apr | Outside the window |
| May | Outside the window |
| Jun | Outside the window |
| Jul | Outside the window |
| Aug | Outside the window |
| Sep | Outside the window |
| Oct | Outside the window |
| Nov | Outside the window |
| Dec | Outside the window |
Light on 15 January
Clear sky
| From | To | Light |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 06:33 | Night |
| 06:33 | 06:54 | Blue hour |
| 06:54 | 07:28 | Golden hour |
| 07:28 | 08:57 | Soft |
| 08:57 | 14:44 | Medium |
| 14:44 | 16:12 | Soft |
| 16:12 | 16:46 | Golden hour |
| 16:46 | 17:08 | Blue hour |
| 17:08 | 24:00 | Night |
4.1 hours of golden and soft light.
Light by month
Hours a day
| Month | Golden hour | Soft | Medium | Harsh |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan (window) | 1.1 h | 2.9 h | 5.9 h | 0.0 h |
| Feb (window) | 1.0 h | 2.6 h | 7.0 h | 0.2 h |
| Mar | 1.0 h | 2.4 h | 5.0 h | 3.5 h |
| Apr | 1.0 h | 2.3 h | 4.2 h | 5.4 h |
| May | 1.1 h | 2.4 h | 4.1 h | 6.3 h |
| Jun (window) | 1.1 h | 2.4 h | 4.1 h | 6.7 h |
| Jul (window) | 1.1 h | 2.4 h | 4.1 h | 6.5 h |
| Aug (window) | 1.0 h | 2.3 h | 4.2 h | 5.8 h |
| Sep | 1.0 h | 2.3 h | 4.6 h | 4.4 h |
| Oct | 1.0 h | 2.5 h | 6.4 h | 1.2 h |
| Nov | 1.1 h | 2.8 h | 6.3 h | 0.0 h |
| Dec | 1.2 h | 3.1 h | 5.4 h | 0.0 h |
The trip
- Length
- 12 days
- Group size
- Up to 14 people
- Led by
- Martin Bailey
- Route
- Tokyo to Tokyo Haneda Airport
- Language
- English
Route
- Kushiro
- Akan
- Lake Kussharo
- Lake Mashu
- Rausu
- Notsuke Peninsula
- Jigokudani
Red Fox — Eastern Hokkaido — Deep Winter
Shoot window
Red Fox: you will probably see it (Jan–Feb)
| Month | Presence |
|---|---|
| Jan | Peak |
| Feb | Peak |
| Mar | Outside the window |
| Apr | Outside the window |
| May | Outside the window |
| Jun | Outside the window |
| Jul | Outside the window |
| Aug | Outside the window |
| Sep | Outside the window |
| Oct | Outside the window |
| Nov | Outside the window |
| Dec | Outside the window |
- Peak
- Mid-February — coincides with mating activity, and coat is at maximum density. Needs verification: whether late January is comparable.
- Days needed
- 8 days
- Behaviour
- Courtship / display, Hunting / predation, Territorial fighting
- Coat
- Full winter coat
- Habitat
- Fresh snow, Pack ice / icebergs
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Also here
- Steller's sea eagle and white-tailed eagle at Rausu (drift ice boat trips), red-crowned crane at Tsurui/Kushiro, whooper swan at Lake Kussharo, Ezo sika deer on Notsuke.
- Light
- SOFT-LIGHT ASSESSMENT: very strong. At 44°N in deep winter the sun arcs low all day and never reaches a harsh angle. Eastern Hokkaido in February is frequently overcast with heavy snowfall, and snow-filtered light plus reflection off the ground gives a soft, almost shadowless quality that suits the near-monochrome intent exactly. Sea smoke off the Nemuro Strait adds further. Effectively the whole short day is shootable and there is no access-timing constraint since this is largely self-driven. Snow requires positive exposure compensation.
- Weather risk
- Snow / blizzard (asset), High wind and Fog / mist (asset)
- Tides and moon
- Not critical, though drift-ice extent off Rausu varies through Feb and affects the sea-ice backdrop.
- Atmosphere
- Blizzard conditions, sea smoke off the Nemuro Strait, breath vapour at -15°C, and drifting spindrift. In this location the weather is the differentiator — a clear-day fox is a snapshot, a fox in falling snow is the picture.
- Permits
- Notsuke Peninsula is a protected habitat with visitor conduct requirements — photography permitted but access rules apply. Feeding wildlife is discouraged and in places prohibited. Verify current drone rules for Shiretoko.
- Getting there
- Fly to Kushiro or Memanbetsu via Tokyo/Sapporo. Self-drive is standard and roads are ploughed but icy — winter tyres essential. Base around Rausu, Nakashibetsu or Teshikaga. Local lodges (e.g. Masuya, Teshikaga) are used by Japanese wildlife photographers. Combine with drift-ice eagle boats from Rausu.
Who runs trips here: Saiyu Travel run Japanese-language wildlife operations in the Teshikaga area and hold a guesthouse in Rausu. Several Western photo tours run here annually. Self-driving independently is entirely viable and cheaper. Needs verification: whether anyone offers ground-level hide work rather than roadside shooting.
Confidence: medium · Last verified 24 Aug 2026
Red Fox — Eastern Hokkaido — Summer
Shoot window
Red Fox: you will almost certainly see it (Jun–Aug)
| Month | Presence |
|---|---|
| Jan | Outside the window |
| Feb | Outside the window |
| Mar | Outside the window |
| Apr | Outside the window |
| May | Outside the window |
| Jun | In season |
| Jul | In season |
| Aug | In season |
| Sep | Outside the window |
| Oct | Outside the window |
| Nov | Outside the window |
| Dec | Outside the window |
- Behaviour
- Moult
- Coat
- Moulting / patchy
- Habitat
- Green season / lush
- Crowds
- Moderate
- Light
- Long days, high sun, harsh midday. Golden hour exists but the background gains clutter that winter removes.
- Permits
- Den-site photography raises disturbance issues; several codes of practice discourage it outright.
Confidence: high · Last verified 24 Aug 2026
What the price covers
- Included
- Not stated
Prices are in the operator's currency. Conversions on the site are approximate and marked ≈. Enquiry form coming soon.
Ethics
- Feeding Unverified
- Baiting Unverified
- Captive Animals Unverified
Green means ShutterAtlas has checked it. Yellow means it has not been checked yet. Red means it happens here.
Light and conditions
Loading today’s light and weather…
Light through the year
Golden hour is when the sun is low, between the horizon and 6° above it: soft, warm light. Times are for the 15th of each month, in Tokyo time (with summer time where it applies). In-season months are marked.
| Month | Golden hour | Daylight | Sun at noon | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning golden hour | Evening golden hour | |||
| JanIn season | 06:54– | 16:12– | 10h 1m10 h 1 min | 33° |
| FebIn season | 06:32– | 16:47– | 10h 54m10 h 54 min | 42° |
| Mar | 05:56– | 17:14– | 11h 56m11 h 56 min | 52° |
| Apr | 05:13– | 17:39– | 13h 5m13 h 5 min | 64° |
| May | 04:41– | 18:02– | 14h 2m14 h 2 min | 73° |
| Jun | 04:30– | 18:20– | 14h 33m14 h 33 min | 78° |
| Jul | 04:41– | 18:20– | 14h 20m14 h 20 min | 76° |
| Aug | 05:04– | 17:56– | 13h 31m13 h 31 min | 69° |
| Sep | 05:27– | 17:15– | 12h 26m12 h 26 min | 58° |
| Oct | 05:51– | 16:32– | 11h 19m11 h 19 min | 46° |
| Nov | 06:20– | 15:57– | 10h 19m10 h 19 min | 36° |
| Dec | 06:47– | 15:50– | 9h 46m9 h 46 min | 31° |
Getting there
- Nearest airport
- Unknown
Sources
Imported listing, not yet claimed by the owner · last checked 28 Oct 2026