The Japanese word for crane is tsuru (traditional Japanese) and kurēn (English loanword). Look below for a list of crane species and their Japanese names.
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| Romanji | Kanji | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Crane つる | Tsuru | 鶴 | |
| Crane (English loanword) クレーン | Kurēn | None | |
| Red-crowned crane たんちょうでずる | Tanchōzuru | 丹頂鶴 | |
| Hooded crane なべづる | Nabedzuru | 鍋鶴 | |
| Origami crane おりづる | Oridzuru | 折り鶴 |
Interesting facts about cranes in Japan
In Japan, the red-crowned crane is a national treasure and symbolizes happiness, longevity and good fortune. These special birds are also often mentioned in Japanese literature and mythology, as well as depicted in art. Currently, there are around 1,200 red-crowned cranes in Japan with most of them living in the Kushiro wetlands of Hokkaido.
Another place to see cranes in Japan is at the Izumi plain in the Kagoshima Prefecture. Each year in the winter, around 10,000 cranes, consisting mostly of hooded cranes, but also including sandhill, demoiselle, Siberian, and common cranes migrate there from Siberia.