Mount Daisen Japanese Giant Salamander Viewing Experience

Join expert guide Richard Pearce for a Japanese Giant Salamander viewing experience and have a rare chance to see them up close in the wild!

Learn about their conservation efforts and contribute directly towards the efforts to save them from extinction.

This big boy (approx 95cms) is absolutely exhausted after spending another night trying in vain to return to his home up river. He was most probably washed downstream during a storm and can not return because many concrete weirs like this one are blo
We’ve achieved a lot in our first few months as a Non-profit, but we’d be nowhere without the hard work and dedication of our members and supporters. One such member is Rachel, an American watercolour artist and art teacher based in Kyoto
The US Military, local people, university students and our organisation’s members freely gave their time to take direct conservation action to help Daisen’s special wildlife! After several months of hard work and frustration, we as an o
JGS Facts #6: Japanese giant salamanders are fully aquatic! Other amphibians, like frogs and other salamanders, may spend time on land and out of the water in moist environments. Many species can live and hunt outside of the water as long as there i
I took a team of Italian environmental journalists into the river last night to see the Japanese giants salamanders and the problems they are facing. Seeing these beautiful animals struggle in vain against the concrete walls and the heavy flow they c
Last night we conducted monthly observational surveys. Our data and documented evidence clearly shows that the concrete weirs are causing habitat fragmentation for the Japanese giant salamander in this special habitat. The solution? The implementatio
Wondering how you can help support Japanese giant salamander conservation? It’s as simple as stickers ! If you use LINE you can purchase Japanese giant salamander stickers and show support for JGS conservation efforts. Big thanks to campaign
More bitter sweet moments from our regular surveys. Always great to see Japanese giant salamanders but it breaks my heart every time to see them pressed against the weirs and dams, obviously under duress. We are working hard to remedy the situation a
Heads up! Here’sJGS Fact #5: Japanese giant salamanders are nocturnal 🌙⭐️ These salamanders spend most of the day resting and are not very active. But when night falls, it’s time to eat! They mainly hunt for their food at night and this
Today we’d like to introduce some of the main threats to Japanese giant salamanders. 1. River construction projects that create weirs and dams remove salamander habitat and stop them from being able to move up and down river. It also affects t

Richard Pearce has been working with the world’s leading Japanese giant salamander expert, Dr. Sumio Okada, since 2017. With a group of both international and local volunteers, Richard launched the Save the Japanese Giant Salamander campaign in April 2022. The initial efforts are focused on the Nawa River basin in Daisen Town. This is a truly unique and special habitat. However, their future survival is threatened by human activities. Please visit Sustainable Daisen’s website for more information.

The viewing tour will visit both a disturbed area and a pristine area. At the disturbed area we can enter the river (the wearing of waders is highly recommended) and at the pristine site we follow the river bank and on occasion enter the river where water levels allow.

Tour Details:

Price: 20,000 yen for up to 2 people. A further 10,000 yen per person in the same group, up to 5 people.

(Waders are highly recommended - available for rental at 2,000 yen per person).

Special rates available for school groups and families!

Group size: 1 - 5 people. For larger groups, please enquire by email at richard@bushidojapan.com

Season: All year. In case of heavy snow, it may be hard/impossible to access the river.

Equipment needed: Head torch. Waders - available for rental at 2,000 yen per person.


Example Tour Schedule (subject to seasonal changes):

6.45pm: Meet near Nawa Train Station.

7.00pm: Move to field sites.

10.45pm: Return to Nawa Station (Mikuriya). Last train leaves Nawa for Yonago at 10.54pm.