The Manko Waterbird and Wetland Center is a free facility where visitors can observe mangrove forests and wild birds up close, even within the city.
Despite its name, Manko is not a lake but an estuarine tidal flat where seawater and river water meet. Like the sea, it is affected by the tides: at high tide, the area fills with seawater, while at low tide, vast mudflats emerge.
From autumn through spring, migratory birds gather here to feed on the fish, crabs, and shellfish that inhabit the mudflats and shallow waters. Around one hundred species of waterbirds have been recorded, including rare birds such as the black-faced spoonbill and the common redshank.
Visitors can also observe resident wild birds seen throughout the year, including the Japanese white-eye and the kingfisher.
From the approximately 200-meter-long wooden boardwalk, you can closely observe rare mangrove flowers and seeds, as well as mudflat creatures such as mudskippers and fiddler crabs.
If you visit during the summer, be sure to look for the day-blooming sea hibiscus, the emblem flower of Princess Kako of the Imperial Family.