Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork

Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork (Hyogo Prefectural “Kounotori no Sato” Park) is a facility opened in 1999 in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture, serving as a research center for the protection, breeding, and reintroduction to the wild of the Oriental White Stork, a Special Natural Monument of Japan. Access is from JR San’in Main Line Toyooka Station by Zentan Bus bound for “Kounotori no Sato Koen / Hokke-ji / Shimo-no-Miya”; get off at “Kounotori no Sato Koen” and the park is right there. Some areas within the park are non-public (such as the nature zone and breeding zone), but in the public observation area you can view exhibits on the storks’ ecology and observe these precious birds up close. The adjacent Toyooka City Kounotori Culture Museum offers guided explanations of the exhibits by nature interpreters, and you can also watch video presentations about the history of the storks’ return to the wild. The surrounding area features beautiful satoyama countryside typical of Tajima, offering a calming spot that feels like a glimpse of Japan’s original landscape.