Nature

Sarobetsu Mire: 2 Live Cameras in Japan

One of Japan's three great wetlands, near the northern tip of Hokkaido, watched from two points. On a clear day Mount Rishiri floats above the sea to the west.

What you can see

Sarobetsu is a raised bog on the Sea of Japan side of northern Hokkaido, counted among the three great wetlands of Japan and listed under the Ramsar Convention. No mountains, no buildings — flat moorland out to the horizon, which is a rare thing to see in Japan.

There are two cameras, both from the Environment Ministry but in different places: Sarobetsu Mire (Toyotomi) and Sarobetsu Mire from the Horonobe visitor centre (Horonobe). The same wetland, seen from its north and south ends.

On a clear day with clean air, Mount Rishiri shows to the west. It is on an island across the water, so it appears as a mountain and nothing else, floating beyond the moor. The tidy cone has earned it the name Rishiri-Fuji, and a day you can see it is a good day.

Cameras you can watch now: 2

All 2 are still images. Tap one to open it in the camera list.

• Sample August 2026

  Sarobetsu Mire

  Toyotomi, Hokkaido · Nature

  One of Japan's largest raised bogs, running to the horizon. On a clear day Mount Rishiri floats beyond the sea.

  MOE Still, hourly Open the official page →

• Sample August 2026

  Sarobetsu Mire from the Horonobe visitor centre

  Horonobe, Hokkaido · Nature

  A huge wetland of boardwalks and bog pools. On a clear day Mount Rishiri floats beyond the sea to the west.

  MOE Still, hourly Open the official page →

When to watch

The wetland's own season is late June into early July, when day lilies open across it and the moor turns yellow. Through mid-July the white heads of cotton grass follow.

From late September into October the marsh grasses turn and the whole wetland goes red-brown. Less showy than the flowers, but there is a great deal of it.

Winter reduces it to a snowfield and an empty frame. But winter is also when the air is cleanest, so the odds of seeing Mount Rishiri are highest then.

For time of day: if you want Rishiri, late afternoon. It lies to the west, so before sunset it goes to silhouette. For flowers on the moor, mornings put the light behind you.

Where Sarobetsu Mire is

• Hokkaido15

Agencies publishing the cameras on this page

• Ministry of the Environment — Internet Nature Institute (PDL 1.0) — Official site

The footage belongs to each agency. This site is an unofficial guide, and each sample frame was copied once per camera under that agency's terms of use.