The Sad Fate of Japan’s Red-crowned Crane

And how the “living rivers” movement could save them

Suzuki Kiitsu, “Reeds and Cranes” 19th century byōbu (folding screen) [1]

First time visitors to Japan usually arrive hoping to experience the natural wonders pictured so beautifully everywhere. But like so many others, my first impression of Japan left me disappointed. All I could see was a vast expanse of concrete structures enmeshed in a tangle of unsightly power lines. As…