The Shiretoko Peninsula in Hokkaido in northern Japan abounds with the primeval nature of Japan’s past. In spring, brown bears prowl about the thick forests looking for food, the Ezo deer and foxes romp about the grasses along the seashore. The nutrients from the forests are distributed by the 2,000 rivers that flow towards the ocean, providing nourishment to a wide range of flora and fauna. At the end of summer, the hundreds of thousands of salmon swimming upstream present a spectacular sight, while fish owls and other birds of the forest feed on the river fish. Winter brings ice drifts together with the seals, seal lions and killer whales. Rich in variety, the four seasons of Shiretoko overflow with life.