Spend enough time in Japan and you'll begin to notice cranes everywhere.

They appear on folding screens, kimono, ceramics and temple artwork. They're folded into origami, woven into textiles and painted onto everything from sake cups to sliding doors.

Known as tsuru (鶴) in Japanese, the crane has long been a symbol of longevity, good fortune and fidelity. In folklore, cranes were even said to live for a thousand years, making them a fitting emblem for celebrations and new beginnings.

Their symbolism also extends into the Japanese garden.

Sometimes a crane is represented quite literally. More often, it's suggested. A tall, slender stone may evoke the bird's elegant neck, while the shape of a carefully pruned pine hints at its outstretched wings. Look a little longer and you may notice another familiar figure nearby: the tortoise, or kame. Together, the crane and tortoise have represented long life and good fortune in East Asian culture for centuries.

Like many aspects of Japanese garden design, the symbolism isn't always meant to be obvious. Part of the pleasure comes from noticing it for yourself.

The crane also appears throughout the history of Japan's hot springs. Many onsen have legends telling of wounded cranes that returned to health after standing in warm mineral waters, their recovery witnessed by a passing monk who recognised the spring's healing qualities. Whether history or folklore, these stories reflect the close relationship between nature, water and wellbeing that runs through Japanese bathing culture.

Once you know what to look for, you'll begin to see cranes throughout Japan, sometimes in plain sight, and sometimes hidden in the landscape itself.

Inspired by Japanese design?

Follow the journey as Yū Bathhouse brings together the traditions of Japanese bathing, gardens and architecture in a new kind of bathhouse for Britain.