Crested Ibises Released on Japan's Main Island for First Time

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On May 31, Ishikawa Prefecture released Japanese crested ibises (toki), a species designated as a Special Natural Monument by the Japanese government. The event marked a hopeful milestone for a region recovering from the devastating 2024 Noto Peninsula earthquake.

Once extinct in Japan, the crested ibis was successfully reintroduced and bred in the wild on Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture. The release in Ishikawa was the first on Japan's main island of Honshu.

*A flock of Japanese crested ibises on Sado Island. (©Fumie Oyama)*

Among those attending the release ceremony in the city of Hakui on the Noto Peninsula were Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) and Crown Princess Kiko. Also present was Yoshio Muramoto, who has devoted more than 70 years to efforts to restore the crested ibis population. For the 101-year-old, the sight of ibises taking to the skies over Ishikawa marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.

Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko release Japanese crested ibises during a ceremony marking the first ibis release on Honshu, Japan's main island—May 31, Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture. (©Sankei/Kazuya Kamogawa)

As the lids of wooden crates were opened, eight ibises burst into the air. After circling overhead for a few moments, they flew off in different directions.

"I have completed the greatest project of my life," Muramoto said, visibly moved. "The dream I pursued for so long—the revival of the crested ibis—has finally come true."

*Japanese crested ibises, marked with colored paint on their wings for identification, take flight after their release—May 31, Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture. (©Sankei/Kazuya Kamogawa)*

A Lifelong Dream

Muramoto was born and raised in Hakui. As a child, he loved birds and often kept wild birds in cages. One day, a snake ate one of them, leaving him heartbroken. Blaming himself for confining the bird, he vowed never to keep one in a cage again. Around that time, his father gave him a feather from a crested ibis he had found, sparking a lifelong fascination with the species. In those days, ibises were still a familiar sight in the countryside.

*Muramoto dreams of seeing Japanese crested ibises soar through Ishikawa's skies once again. (2024 ©Japan Forward/Mika Sugiura)*

After serving in World War II and spending about six months as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, Muramoto returned home to find that the ibis population had declined sharply. Farmers often viewed the birds as pests because they sometimes trampled newly planted rice seedlings. At the same time, the growing use of pesticides degraded their habitat, reducing food sources and accelerating their disappearance.

In 1970, the last surviving ibis in the Noto region was captured and transferred to Sado Island in Niigata Prefecture, which became the center of conservation efforts. The Japanese crested ibis was declared extinct in the wild in Japan in 1981, though captive breeding efforts continued.

Preserving Culture Through Conservation

Determined to bring the bird back, Muramoto built close ties with Shaanxi Province in China, where a small wild population of crested ibises had survived. He traveled to China more than 20 times, delivering donations and supporting local conservation programs.

Those exchanges eventually bore fruit. In 1999, China presented Japan with a breeding pair of crested ibises. Captive breeding efforts on Sado Island gradually succeeded, and in 2008 the birds were released into the wild there for the first time. Muramoto was invited to that ceremony as well and, just as he did this year, stood alongside Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko.

"The ibis is a very important bird," Muramoto said. "Its feathers are used on ceremonial swords during the Shikinen Sengu rites at Ise Grand Shrine, which are held every 20 years. I felt we could not allow this part of Japanese history and culture to disappear." The Shikinen Sengu is the shrine's most important and elaborate Shinto ceremony.

To teach younger generations about a bird they had never seen, Muramoto even built a small museum dedicated to the crested ibis on his own property.

"I can't die until I see the ibis firmly established in Ishikawa with my own eyes," he said.

Farmers Prepare a Home

Also watching the release ceremony was farmer Eiji Hamada, who has helped create feeding habitats for the birds in Hakui.

"The ibises were probably very hot inside those wooden crates," he said. "I hope they overcome the stress and live long, healthy lives in Ishikawa."

*Eiji Hamada, who has cultivated rice using environmentally friendly methods that support Japanese crested ibis habitat. (2024 ©Japan Forward/Mika Sugiura)*

Hamada was among the first farmers in Hakui to prepare feeding grounds for the species. Having already reduced his use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers to promote biodiversity, he joined a prefectural program three years ago to grow "ibis-certified rice," which helps create and maintain habitats where the birds can find food.

At first, Hamada was the only farmer in Hakui participating in the program. This year, however, the prefectural government began offering subsidies, prompting a sharp rise in participation. The area of rice paddies managed under the program has expanded to 500 hectares—about eight times the size it was when Hamada first became involved.

*Japanese crested ibises on Sado Island forage for food in a rice paddy beside tractors. (©Fumie Oyama).*

With reconstruction from the Noto Peninsula earthquake still ongoing, many also see the ibis release as a symbol of the region's recovery.

"I hope the ibises will breed in Ishikawa and help bring more visitors to the area," Hamada said.

The day after the release, one of the birds was reportedly spotted in one of Hamada's rice fields. A newspaper reporter he knows came to tell him about the sighting. Hamada is now eagerly hoping to catch a glimpse of the bird himself.

*A flock of Japanese crested ibises on Sado Island, with a sandpiper among them. Similar sights may one day be seen in Ishikawa. (©Fumie Oyama)*

The Next Phase

The May 31 release was conducted as a "hard release," in which the birds were released directly from wooden crates. A second phase will be a "soft release," with the remaining 10 birds spending about two weeks in acclimatization cages before being allowed to fly off on their own.

In total, 18 ibises will be released, and conservationists are closely monitoring how well they adapt to their new environment.

*Crowds gather to witness the first release of Japanese crested ibises on Honshu—May 31, Hakui, Ishikawa Prefecture. (©Sankei/Kazuya Kamogawa)*

On Sado Island, repeated releases and successful breeding have helped the wild ibis population grow to roughly 500 birds. Restoring a species once lost to extinction was no simple task. It required decades of effort, substantial financial support, public understanding, cooperation from farmers, volunteer monitoring, and, above all, the dedication of people like Muramoto.

The distance between Ishikawa and Sado Island is only about 200 to 250 kilometers (124 to 155 miles), well within the flight range of a crested ibis. As habitats rich in insects, fish, and other small animals continue to be restored, a day may come when the birds regularly travel between Noto and Sado.

Another release is planned next year in Izumo, Shimane Prefecture. Conservationists hope it will mark another step toward restoring a landscape in which ibises once again thrive across Japan, as they did generations ago.