Tanchō

The Red-crowned Crane, one of the world's largest birds, takes its name from the vermilion-red patch it wears above its head. Known for its beauty and spectacular nuptial dance, it is a highly symbolic bird in Japanese culture, whose mythology is widespread. It is called Tanchō in Japan and is considered a national treasure and a Taoist deity, as it often carries immortals on its back in Taoist mythology. With its divine whiteness, loving dances and bewitching wingbeats, the Crane is imbued with beauty and poetry. In Japan, it is respected and revered as a symbol of longevity, fidelity and peace. There are fewer than 3,000 birds in this endangered species' range, mainly in the countries around the Sea of Okhotsk, half of them in Hokkaido, Japan.