First, Meet Toki and Get to Know It!
September 25, 2008 is the day the trial release of toki will take place. Toki will fly once again after the 27 years since it last flew the skies of Japan in 1981. In order to get closer to the bird, we'll show you where to go and how to make the most of observing the birds.
About 15 minutes by car from Ryotsu Harbor, Sado Toki-no mori Park (Sado-shi Toki-no-mori Koen) is located in Niibo Village. Adjacent to this park is Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center, a facility commissioned by the Ministry of the Environment and run by Niigata Prefecture that protects and breeds toki. The facility opened its doors in 1967 and moved to its present location in 1993. Next door, you'll find all you need to know about toki at Toki Exhibition Hall (Toki Shiryo Tenji-kan). The observation walkway is especially valuable as you'll be able to see a real live toki under the care of the center with your own eyes. We asked Junko Nakagawa, a Toki-no-mori Park staff, about the highlight of the Exhibition Hall that was just renovated in March.
Look for the Toki Color (Pale Rose) Inside the Wings
"First, have a look at a real live toki from the observation walkway. It may not move right away, but when it does, look for the so-called toki color inside its wings," says Ms. Nakagawa. Binoculars are provided on the walkway, so you can take your time and have a good look at the birds. Photo taking is OK, but use of flash and strobes are prohibited as they frighten the birds.
"Their feathers change colors with the seasons. From around the middle of March to the end of May during their mating season, the feathers turn grey. You'll often see them calling to one another. You might also see them feeding their chicks. In the summer, they become mottled, and in the winter they turn pure white. This is the best season to look for the pale rose color inside their wings."
The renovation project has updated the display and has made it easy to understand. You'll find information on the ecology of toki and its relationship to humans, as well as the efforts to bring them back to the wild. "We have displays where you can actually feel how much a toki weighs and hear its voice. You can also watch a movie about what it took to bring the release of toki and what went into preparing the habitat for the birds," explained Ms. Nakagawa. The facility offers a chance to really get to know these special birds. It's a must see for anyone interested in toki and nature preservation.
Observe toki with binoculars from the observation walkway of Toki Exhibition Hall. Be patient and wait until it takes flight.
From spring to summer, you might be able to watch it feed their chicks.
You can see stuffed specimens of the very last toki named Kin found in Japan. The observation walkway is now weatherproof, thanks to the renovation.
Stroll Around the Park and Head Towards the Return to the Wild Station
Monument of the last toki found in Japan.
Edamame soft-serve ice cream is 300 yen. Soft-serves flavored with seasonal fruit are also available.
After looking through the exhibition hall, take a stroll around Toki Forest Park. You'll find a monument to commemorate the last Japanese toki in the park among the breezy tress. You'll also find toki gift items at the gift shop next to the parking lot. Make sure not to miss the edamame (fresh soybeans) soft-serve ice cream made by local moms using homegrown edamames. The uniquely delicious soft-serve ice cream is rapidly growing in popularity.
When you're done with Toki Forest Park, head towards the Return to the Wild Station (Yasei Fukki Station) in Niibo Shomyoji, about a ten-minute drive away. This is where they prepare toki to be return to the wild. You can't go into the station itself, but you can watch toki in action from an observation building on the hill. Look for tokis on the monitors as their images are captured by remote cameras. You'll see them fly and catch their own food, escape predators, and breed. About ten trained birds from this facility will be released to the wild.
Toki flying around the acclimation cage at the Return to the Wild Station.
Inside the observation building at the Return to the Wild Station. Look for toki on the monitor screen.
Photos of toki courtesy of Sado Japanese Crested Ibis Conservation Center
Toki 101
- Latin name
- Nipponia Nippon
- English name
- Japanese crested ibis
- Body length
- approximately 75 cm or about 2-1/2 feet from the tip of its beak to the tail feathers. About 140 cm or 4 feet 8 inches wing span.
- Food
- Loaches, mud snails, frogs, river crab, grasshoppers, etc.
- Nests
- They make their nests on top of tall trees with a good view.
- Eggs
- They lay their eggs around the beginning of April. Eggs are warmed by both the male and the female. The eggs hatch in about 28 days.
- The chicks
- The chicks are fed and taken care of for about 40 to 50 days. It takes the fledglings about two to three years to mature and lay eggs.
The History of Toki
Toki were seen everywhere around Japan until the end of the Edo Era (1867). With the ushering of the modern era, Meiji, toki were over hunted and captured. In addition, with the destruction of nature and pollution, the number of toki diminished drastically in the late 1900's until in 1981 the last five birds in Japan found on Sado Island were captured to keep them from extinction. With this, toki disappeared from the skies of Japan.
The last toki born in the wild was named Kin. Its name was taken from the name of toki observer Kintaro Uji. Mr. Uji captured and brought Kin in his arms to the protection center. The four other captured birds died before Kin. Kin died in 2003 at the age of 36, which is equivalent to over 100 years old in human years. A wild toki ate from the hands of a human for the first time in history, they say, because of Mr. Uji's devoted care.
DATA
Toki-no-mori Park (Toki-no-mori koen)
- 383-2 Niibo Nagaune, Sado
- TEL: 0259-22-4123
- Environment Conservation Fee required upon entry
- Hours of operation: Open from 8:30 to 17:00 (Entry closed at 16:30)
- Facility is open 7 days a week from March to November; closed Mondays from December to February (if Monday falls on a holiday, closed the following day); closed New Years Eve and New Years.
Return to the Wild Station Observation Building (Yasei Fukki Station)
- 1277 Niibo Shomyoji, Sado
- TEL: 0259-24-6151
- Hours of operation: Weekdays: 9:00 to 16:00; Sat, Sun & Holidays: 9:00 to 15:00; closed from December 29 to January 3.
* May close without notice due to weather such as heavy snow.