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Being raised in a Cree Nations Community in Northern Canada and being educated in the old ways by elders, Totem poles were a part of our daily landscape.  So when I first laid eyes on Ainu Totem poles in Hokkaido, Japan, I never thought them out of place or odd.  And I will never forget the first time co-leading a NatGeo Hokkaido photography tour workshop with international photographers and their surprise to see Totem poles in Japan.  Their first question was, who made them?  My answer was simple, my friend Shitomi of the Ainu and his ancestors made these Totem poles.  From that day forward on every Hokkaido photography workshop tour I lead, I introduce participants on my workshops to the First Nations people of Japan, the Ainu, and there is no better place then Akanko Ainu Kotan, which happens to be an energy vortex or power spot, but not everyone is meant to feel or feed-off the energy.  Akanko is in my top five favorite spots on our planet for shinrin yoku (forest bathing).  Part of shinrin yoku is regaining one’s full strength energy naturally, plus healing.  Akano for me is like being plugged into a power plant, such as our planet’s sun. 

 

Red-crowned cranes (Grus japonensis) are devoted and mate for life. Their courtship dance is legendary. This is the start of one such dance, I took this image while leading my annual Hokkaido photography tour.

The Red-crowned cranes are known as Tancho, they sure do love to dance, and I sure do love to spot and photograph these majestic huge birds. I took this image while leading my annual Hokkaido photography workshop tour.

While the cranes dance, I highly recommend photographers to use high speed continuous shooting mode, so you don't miss those gallery worthy images and stories these bird tell in their dance.

Tancho love to leap in the air during their courtship dance, these birds mate for life. Image taken in Hokkaido, Japan.

The Red-crowned cranes symbolize good fortune, longevity, and peace. They are a brilliant bird to spot and photograph and always one of main events during my annual Hokkaido birding photography workshop.

During the Red-crowned cranes dance, one may seem to have stopped dancing, then all of a sudden they start to dance in unison. They are a huge bird and very interesting and fun to spot and photograph.

The red-crowned cranes love to jump in the ai while dancing, they are natural ballet dancers graceful as those of the Royal British Ballet.

During the tancho mating ritual dance the birds can jump six or more feet with ease away from their mate, but they soon hurry back to their side.

Red-crowned cranes are natural entertainers, and I highly recommend to birders to try and spot and photograph them at least once.

The tancho are truly natural entertainers, and annually I love to spot and photograph them while I lead my annual Hokkaido photography tour workshop.

Once the courtship dance is complete the two cranes stand close to once another. I took this image while leading my annual Hokkaido photography workshop tour.

Ainu totem poles in Akan Ikor theatre, I took this image while leading a Hokkaido private photography workshop.

Ainu and all Totem poles express a powerful storied sentiment, which represents the powerful quality symbol of Native culture, traditions and jurisdiction.  When totems are erected, there is a ceremony to express the people’s appreciation for the natural world and community.  There are symbols in some of the Ainu totems for the Red-crowned cranes, and there is a specific Red-crowned crane dance called the Sarorun Rimse (Crane Dance), imitating the dances of the Red-crowned crane.  The Ainu are brilliant storytellers, and they tell the story of a variety of animals and spiritual or divine beings who are composed of or possess a high level of spiritual energy.  Similar to North Americans First Nations Peoples, the Ainu tell the story of the Red-Crowned Crane, with human dancers, in which the live birds are considered to be the Kamuy (a divine being) Gods of the Marshes, and spirit dancers.

Spotting and Photographing the Red-crowned cranes is a magical experience, the Tancho in Japanese, stand 150 to 158 cm (4ft to 5 ft) tall weighing 8 to 11 kg (17 to 25) pounds with an amazingly large wingspan measuring 200 to 260 cm (6.5 ft to 8.5 ft) and live more than 60 years, and these birds mate for life. The Red-Crowned Cranes ritual courtship dance is a masterpiece of impassioned choreography; they bow to one another, then raise their heads towards the sky and call in unison, and as they call, they begin to dance. One pair or the entire flock will leap into the air, at the same time commencing the mating ritual ballet/dance.

While leading my Hokkaido photography tour we always enjoy the sacred Sarorun Rimse (Crane Dance), the Ainu are masterful graceful story tellers of Ainu tradition.

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