The Japan Bird Festival 2022 will be held on 5-6 November at Lake Teganuma at Abiko, just outside Tokyo. The event is also commonly known as JBF; therefore, this year, since Covid 19 restrictions have been lifted worldwide, the event will be known as JBF2022.
The location in the northeast of Tokyo makes this place perfect for the event as the area is well-known to be a naturalist area with the massive Teganuma Lake and its surrounding lakes and nature reserves.
Japan Bird Festival 2022
JBF is one of Japan’s largest bird-themed events in Lake Teganuma, Abiko City, in the Chiba Prefecture. For years, this birding event has attracted children, the elderly, and visitors from out of Jayan.
During the Japan Bird Festival, there will be many activities that include presentations of research and activities related to birds and the natural environment by the government, NGOs, students, and civic groups.
Other activities and displays include exhibitions of bird sculptures, paintings, and photographs, children’s handicraft classes, stamp rallies, and many more exciting things, including a Japan bird photo contest that started earlier.
We must not forget that the Japanese are passionate about their hobbies; hence, you will see a lot of unique hobbies and crafts related to birds, ranging from postcards, stamps, drawings and even handmade crafts. It is only in Japan that things like this still attract all walks of life.
JBF was established in Abiko City on Lake Teganuma in November 2001. The city also has the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology, the only private ornithological research institute in Japan, and the Abiko City Bird Museum, the only museum specialising in birds in the country.
In addition to this research institute, the Japan Bird Conservation Federation, the Wild Bird Society of Japan, the Japan Bird Carving Association, the Japan Telescope Industry Association, and Abiko City formed the JBF executive committee and held the first festival.
What Birds to see around Lake Teganuma?
This is for the benefit of those who want to spot some fantastic Japanese birds when they attend the JBF2022, as you will be around the lake area known for several birds. They include;
- Great Cormorant
- Green-winged Teal
- Eastern Spot-billed Duck
- Northern Pintail
- Northern Shoveler
- Mute Swan
- Herring Gull
- Black-headed Gull
- Grey Heron
- Great Egret
- Intermediate Egret
- Little Egret
- Moorhen
- Coot
- Osprey
- Black Kite
- Eastern Marsh Harrier
- Northern Goshawk
- Common Buzzard
- Common Kestrel
- Peregrine
- Green Pheasant
- Oriental Turtle Dove
- Common Kingfisher
- Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
- Japanese Skylark
- White Wagtail
- Japanese Wagtail
- Buff-bellied Pipit
- Bull-headed Shrike
- Daurian Redstart
- Pale Thrush
- Dusky Thrush
- Japanese Bush Warbler
- Zitting Cisticola
- Long-tailed Tit
- (Eastern) Great Tit
- Japanese White-eye
- Siberian Meadow Bunting
- Chestnut-eared Bunting
- Rustic Bunting
- Black-faced Bunting
- Japanese Reed Bunting
- Reed Bunting
- Oriental Greenfinch
- Long-tailed Rosefinch
- Hawfinch
- Tree Sparrow
- White-cheeked Starling
- Carrion Crow
Past Exhibitors at JBF
Over the years several international exhibitors have participated in the bird festival here over the years. Those that came were used to Japanese birders as the countries who participated would have Japanese-speaking bird guides. Below is a list of those participants;
- Bird Conservation Society of Thailand
- Borneo Bird Club Malaysia
- Hawaii Island Festival of Birds
- Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS)
- Off to Bhutan Travel
- Taiwan Bird Club
- Travel Nepal Pvt.Ltd
- Tum-Eco Tour Co., Ltd（Mongolia)
- Wild Bird Club of the Philippines
Participating in Birding Equipment and Optic Companies at JBF2022
As Japan is home to most of the well-known optic and camera brands, you can surely see some of the top-notch brands participating here, and if you are lucky, you may even get to see or try some of the 2023 models.
- Kowa Optronics
- OM Digital Solutions Co., Ltd.
- Nikon Imaging Japan Co., Ltd.
- Kenko Tokina Co., Ltd.
Hakuba Photo Industry Co., Ltd. - Nature shop KYOEI Tokyo store
- Bushnell MAVEN
- Canon Marketing Japan Inc.
- Cytron Japan Co., Ltd.
- Ginza Sogando
- FUJIFILM Imaging Systems Co., Ltd.
- Tamron Co., Ltd.
Where and When is the Japan Bird Festival?
The bird festival in Japan takes place from 5-6 November 2022; every year, the event is usually held in November. As for the venue, the exact location for the Japan Bird Festival is the north shore of Lake Teganuma, located in Abiko City, Chiba Prefecture.
How to go to the Japan Bird Festival?
To get here, you must fly to Tokyo and then take a train from Tokyo, where there are two ways.
- Train 1 – Take the JR (Japan Railway) Yamanote Line (Platform No.4) going toward Ueno & Ikebukuro and get off at Ueno Station.
Train 2 – Take the Keihin-Tohoku Line (Platform No.3) toward Ueno & Omiya and get off at Ueno Station. - From Ueno Station, take the JR Joban Line (Rapid) (Platform No.10,11,12) going toward Toride, Katsuta, Tsuchiura or Mito and get off at Abiko station (about 35 minutes ride UENO → ABIKO)
- You can also get to Abiko station by Subway (Tokyo Metro). Change trains Chiyoda Line (Line C) going toward Abiko. If you get on the trains toward Ayase, you must wait for the next train to go toward Abiko Station.
For more information, you may contact the organisers below in English;
Japan Bird Festival (JBF) Executive Committee Secretariat
(Abiko City Hall Environment and Economy Department Teganuma Section)
Phone: 04-7185-1484 Fax: 04-7185-5869
Email: jbf@city.abiko.chiba.jp
*Phone calls are available from 8:30 to 17:00. (Excluding weekends and holidays)
Conclusion
For anyone planning to visit the Japan Bird Festival 2022, I suggest you check all the requirements from individual countries. Japan recently opened up to tourism, and some countries may require additional procedures.
For Birdwatching Asia, it is an honour to feature the Japan Bird Festival in our publication. We hope we can one day visit the event in person to give full coverage of what happens at the bird festival.
This way, we can invite more Malaysians and other neighbouring countries like Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei to visit the Japan Bird Festival 2023.
