A black-and-white crested kingfisher of rivers and mountain lakes in Japan.
The head and upperparts are mottled white, black, and grey, with a long crest. Males have buff or reddish-brown marks on the chest; females do not.
The Japanese nominate subspecies lives in pairs that hold territories year-round. It digs a horizontal nest tunnel in an earthen bank and mainly eats fish.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.