Overview: Cranes have been revered throughout Japan since ancient times. Forming almost inseparable mating pairs, cranes are a symbol of harmonious married life. Crane motifs are widely used on wedding clothing and accessories in Japan. A flock of red-crowned cranes on Japan's northern main island of Hokkaido is one of the world's few non-migrating populations. The red-crowned crane is a rare success story in wildlife protection. However, the increase in crane population in recent years has brought new problems. On this edition of BEGIN Japanology, we look at cranes and the longstanding fascination they have held for the people of Japan.