This year, the Japan Bird Festival 2023 or JBF2023, will be held from 4-5 November at Abiko in Chiba, Japan. This is Japan’s largest birding festival, which sees hundreds of birders attending, local and international.

The festival is held on Lake Teganuma’s banks every autumn and invites exhibitors from non-profit organisations, student groups, governments, and companies. This year’s theme will be “Aiming for the Coexistence of Humans and Birds”.

Japan Bird Festival 2023

Every year without fail, the birding festival takes place in November on the first weekend, attracting people from all walks of life to Teganuma, Abiko City, in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan.

From children to the elderly, various programs will be offered, ranging from kids’ activities, bird talks and academic research presentations. Not forgetting the booths that offer many birding items for sale at the venue.

There are also many activities related to birds and the natural environment by the government, NPOs, students, and civic groups, exhibitions of bird sculptures, paintings, and photographs, children’s handicraft classes, shipboard bird watching, stamp rallies, and more.

In last year’s Japan Bird Festival 2022, thousands of visitors showed up over the weekend, exploring the many booths related to birding. People were selling bird-related souvenirs, food and even professional birding equipment on display.

There were also live music performances, art displays, arts and crafts sessions,  Japanese food stalls, birding field trips and many birding books put on sale, which contributed to the festive mood here.

Bird List of around Lake Teganuma, Abiko

Below is a list of birds that you may be able to spot when you are here for the bird festival.

1. Black-faced Bunting
2. Black-headed Gull
3. Black Kite
4. Buff-bellied Pipit
5. Bull-headed Shrike
6. Carrion Crow
7. Chestnut-eared Bunting
8. Common Buzzard
9. Common Kestrel
10. Common Kingfisher
11. Coot
12. Daurian Redstart
13. Dusky Thrush
14. Eastern Great Tit
15. Eastern Marsh Harrier
16. Eastern Spot-billed Duck
17. Eurasian Tree Sparrow
18. Great Cormorant
19. Green Pheasant
20. Green-winged Teal
21. Grey Heron
22. Hawfinch
23. Herring Gull
24. Intermediate Egret
25. Japanese Bush Warbler
26. Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker
27. Japanese Reed Bunting
28. Japanese Skylark
29. Japanese Wagtail
30. Japanese White-eye
31. Little Egret
32. Long-tailed Rosefinch
33. Long-tailed Tit
34. Moorhen
35. Mute Swan
36. Northern Goshawk
37. Northern Pintail
38. Northern Shoveler
39. Oriental Greenfinch
40. Oriental Turtle Dove
41. Osprey
42. Pale Thrush
43. Peregrine
44. Reed Bunting
45. Rustic Bunting
46. Siberian Meadow Bunting
47. White-cheeked Starling
48. White Wagtail
49. Zitting Cisticola

Who participated in the Japan Bird Fest?

Several international exhibitors have participated in the bird festival here, and hopefully, Malaysia will send a team again this year. Below is a list of the previous international participants;

• Borneo Bird Club Malaysia
• Bird Conservation Society of Thailand
• Wild Bird Club of the Philippines
• Hong Kong Bird Watching Society (HKBWS)
• Taiwan Bird Club
• Hawaii Island Festival of Birds
• Travel Nepal Pvt.Ltd
• Tum-Eco Tour Co., Ltd（Mongolia)

Japan Bird Festival 2023 Information

• Date: 4-5 November
• Venue: Teganuma Water Park, Coot Square (Bird Museum parking lot), Abiko, Chiba
• Website: JPF2023

For additional information, please contact;

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

How to go to the Japan Bird Festival?

If you are like me, I usually take the train, which is more accessible. But if you rent a car, use Google Maps or Waze and self-drive there. Below are directions from Tokyo and Narita Airport for those planning to travel to Abiko.

From Tokyo station – about 1 hour

• Take the JR (Japan Railway) Yamanote Line (Platform No.4) going toward UENO & IKEBUKURO and get off at UENO station, OR Take the Keihin-Tohoku Line (Platform No.3) going toward UENO & OMIYA and get off at UENO station.
• Take the JR Joban Line (Rapid) (Platform No.10,11,12) from UENO station toward TORIDE, KATSUTA, TSUCHIURA, or MITO, and get off at ABIKO station. (about 35 minutes ride UENO → ABIKO)
• You can also get ABIKO station by Subway (Tokyo Metro). Change trains Chiyoda Line (Line C) going toward ABIKO. If you get on the trains going toward AYASE, unfortunately, you must wait for the next train to go toward ABIKO at AYASE station.

From Narita Airport (Terminal 1) station – about 1 hour

• Take the JR Narita Line and get off at NARITA STATION after a 10-minute ride (Note: from Terminal 2, take the opposite direction of Terminal 1).
• From there, take the JR Narita Line (platform No.6) toward ABIKO, UENO, or SHINAGAWA and get off at ABIKO station. (about 40 minutes ride NARITA → ABIKO)
• The JR Narita Line from the airport doesn’t go to ABIKO directly. Please don’t forget to change the train at NARITA station.

Conclusion

For anyone visiting the Japan Bird Festival 2023, you should start preparing for flights and accommodations in either Tokyo or Abiko itself. If you stay in Tokyo, it’s a one-hour commute to Akibo in Chiba.

As for Birdwatching Asia, I hope to attend this Japanese bird fair as it will be my first event in Japan. Plus I would really like to experience how they organise the bird fair and also to see some of the Japanese birds here. And finally, for those travelling with your family, you can always park yourselves in Tokyo and head to Chiba on the weekend for the festival and be back in Tokyo.