Living with storks in Toyooka in Hyogo, attracting tourism

Not so long ago, people and Oriental White Storks coexisted in harmony and peace in Toyooka, northern Hyogo Prefecture. A formerly common sight in the wilderness of this beautiful Japanese countryside, in 1971, the last surviving soul of this rare breed disappeared from the local skies, leaving a sense of loss, questions and many regrets. Half a century later, the city vows to learn from past lessons and invites travelers to witness the efforts that have contributed to the return of the storks.

Located less than a 3-hour scenic ride from Kyoto and Osaka, Toyooka is a city blessed with natural wonders. It is home to the famous 1,300-year-old onsen town of Kinosaki, an essential part of the UNESCO-recognized San’in Kaigan Geopark, and it houses Kannabe Kogen, one of western Japan’s best ski and outdoor adventure resort towns. The beautiful Maruyama River flows through the center of the city, where numerous businesses of great cultural and historical significance have flourished throughout the years. Toyooka has Japan’s most thriving “Caban (Bag) Street,” an alley where, for over 1,000 years, artisans have produced some of the country’s finest bags and purses. And when it comes to culinary resources, natural sights, and attractive accommodations, Toyooka is easily a top-class destination for any traveler.

Agriculture thrives where storks live

But behind this allure, Toyooka lived through a regretful past: leading to the extinction of the city’s symbol, the Oriental White Stork. Amid pressure for rapid economic growth post-World War II, local farmers heavily adopted agricultural overproduction, pesticide use, deforestation, overhunting, and other ill agricultural practices that came to light in retrospect. It gradually led to habitat loss and, ultimately, the loss of the Oriental White Stork. Not only did the city’s most significant symbol vanish, but with its loss also came valid concerns about harmful agricultural practices and their long-lasting consequences. The locals had learned the hard way that where storks live, safe agriculture thrives.

Losing the storks was Toyooka’s greatest wake-up call and motivation for change. When the locals lost track of the last stork, they knew they had to alter their ways to attract the birds’ return. Fast forward half a century later, and there are now over 300 Oriental White Storks reintroduced into the wild in Japan, most of them flying in the Toyooka skies. There are wetlands, active stork research centers and museums, and the no-longer rare sights of bird-watching enthusiasts traveling from afar to see the storks.

This was all thanks to taking a step back to revisit the losses made and finding sustainable approaches to stop the negative cycle.

Bringing the storks back with mindfulness to the ecosystem

As a start, a stork breeding program was launched. After years of efforts and overseas support, a chick hatched in 1989, and the first storks were successfully reintroduced into the wild for the first time in 2005. The next step was providing an environment where the storks could live and thrive. To achieve this, local farmers preserved their habitat using completely or predominantly pesticide-free and natural agricultural methods that allowed for small insects and animals, such as fish, frogs, rodents, and even snakes — storks’ favorites — to survive.

Securing this environment also required a manual method of regularly cutting the reeds by the waterside to create a better environment for the storks to feed. Cutting the reeds by hand, instead of using machinery, allows small animals to escape, thus contributing to the overall ecosystem. Introduced in 2003, this farming method has since become the norm in Toyooka. And thanks to these efforts, the region now even has its own organic rice brand, “konotori-mai” (literally “stork rice” in Japanese).

In addition to re-evaluating farming practices, Toyooka also designated several land areas as wildlife reserves. These areas now act as the primary sites for sustaining the reintroduced Oriental White Stork population, but are also places for visitors to learn about the local efforts and history of the storks.

Tackling lack of awareness through tourism

Despite years of efforts to reintroduce the storks into the wild and re-create the ecosystem that supports their wellbeing, sadly, very few people outside Toyooka know about these ongoing activities. For example, on a visit to the Kinosaki area, tourists are more likely to come across mascots and monuments of crabs — a regional delicacy — or onsen-inspired souvenirs rather than anything remotely related to storks. As far as non-residents are concerned, the storks may still be extinct.

Hoping to change this, raise awareness, and contribute to the foundation of civic pride and sustainable economic growth for the local communities, the local Toyooka City administration has turned to tourism. Representatives from the city explained that the type of tourism they’re aiming for would not be focused on providing tours to see the storks in the wild. Instead, through a series of programs, they’d encourage visitors to understand how the city is coexisting with the storks and how creating the ecosystem that has helped reintroduce the birds in the wild is impacting the lives of locals and businesses for the better.

Meet the storks and enjoy the town: new Toyooka Local Tours

Such efforts led to the recently launched tourism concept, “EN: Journey to Discover Stories of the Storks,” which introduces several tours and plans, combining a diverse group of outdoor, cultural, and local experiences that demonstrate how the city has evolved over the years to coexist with the storks. Through various visits and programs, the tours aim to show the three main pillars sustaining the city — the natural environment where storks thrive, the history and traditions intertwined with the storks, and the local community working towards sustainability for the storks.

Visit the wetland reserves

As part of the tours introducing the natural stork environment, travelers can visit two of the main wetland reserves, the Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork and the Hachigoro Toshima Wetlands, the latter located just a short bicycle ride from central Kinosaki Onsen. Both facilities are now open to the public and provide the chance to see wild storks, observe the areas where they are being bred in captivity before release, and participate in various educational activities for children and adults alike.

Visits to Hachigoro Toshima Wetlands also involve a small contribution to preserving the stork habitat, where participants are invited to head out into the wetlands with sickles in hand to cut some reeds. Accompanied by locals, this short visit is perhaps the first step in understanding the Toyooka ecosystem — all while waiting for the storks to stop by and greet you from a distance.

See the farms and enjoy a feast in the “Forest Restaurant”

One of the most enjoyable local experiences offered on the tours is a culinary adventure in Toyooka’s Kannabe region. Called “Forest Restaurant,” this fine outdoor dining experience takes place undisturbed under the clear blue skies. Having adopted the “farming methods that nurture storks,” Kannabe uses a variety of safe local and seasonal ingredients.

The tour guides visitors to local farms, where they can meet and chat with the friendly farmers, who then take them (on EV bikes) to their farms to hand-pick their choice of local produce. The experience then leads to a small forest, where a beautifully decorated table sits amid trees and bushes, sunshine leading the way. The delicious lunch is prepared with locally-grown, pesticide-free organic ingredients that have been grown under the stork-preservation farming method.

From shiitake burgers, slow-grilled shallots, and a variety of delicious bits and bites presented in bins, this one-of-a-kind forest experience takes a new look every season to incorporate the best of the season’s local produce. There may be no storks flying around, but you’ll feel their presence and appreciate every savory bite along the way.

Unity in bringing sustainable tourism to Toyooka

The introduction of the new tours already shows a positive impact among members of the local community. Genki Kitamura, one of the “Forest Restaurant” developers and a local inn and cafe owner, says that the initiative has brought various businesses together and united them in their wish to boost tourism in relatively underexplored Kannabe regions.

“This tour was developed by three local companies that had never worked together. Thinking creatively outside the box about ways to use things we’ve always taken for granted — like growing vegetables with stork-nurture farming methods or using Kannabe’s clear waters — to appeal to visitors was something new to us,” he says. “We hope to create attractive regional content that will encourage visitors to stay in Kannabe for (at least) a second night.”

More ways to enjoy Toyooka

For those wishing to learn even more about Toyooka and the various businesses that have thrived in the area, a guided tour along the city’s famous Caban Street is also available, as are visits to the Kannabe Volcano — the youngest and only remaining crater in the Kansai region — a wood-chopping experience and even an EV tuk-tuk drive-through farming experience.

Whichever way you choose to explore Toyooka on your next adventure, you can rest assured that it will be a beneficial experience — for you, the locals, and the storks that have made this place their home. Hopefully, for good this time.

For details on all available tours and information on bookings, visit the organizers’ official website here.

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