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Tottori Sand Dunes

Tottori Pref. Tottorishi Fukubechouyuyama

Tottori Sand Dunes run along the Sea of Japan coast in Tottori City. They are the largest dunes in Japan and extend 16 kilometers from east to west and 2.4 kilometers from north to south. The landscape formed by the granite sand which is carried from the Chugoku Mountains due to the swift current of the Sendai River and the sea breeze from the Sea of Japan is beautiful. From the viewpoint of these dunes having characteristic topography, there are places with large depressions which are called “suri-bachi” because their shapes resemble that of an earthenware mortar, and it is said that large ones can be as much as 40 meters deep. It is also fun to ride a sightseeing camel through the sand dunes or glide over the sand on a sand board. The sand dunes were designated as a Natural Monument of Japan in 1955, and were selected as one of Japan’s top 100 geological features in 2007.
Tottori Sand Dunes Sand Museum

4.5

521 Reviews

Tottori Pref. Tottorishi Fukubechouyuyama 2083-17

This is an art museum on Prefectural Route 319 in Yuyama, Fukubecho, Tottori City where sand sculptures, sculptures carved from sand, are exhibited. Sculptures are produced and exhibited on differing themes each year under the concept of travel around the world in sand, such as “Renaissance in Italy” and “World Heritages in Asia”. The displays can only be appreciated during the exhibition as when the exhibition has finished the sculptures turn back into sand.
Mizuki Shigeru Road

Sakai City, Tottori Prefecture

The local nickname for the shopping arcade which extends from Sakaiminato Station to the Mizuki Shigeru Memorial Museum. The area is a central part of the book “Yokai no Machi,” a book written by manga artist Shigeru Mizuki about his hometown of Sakaiminato City. The road is lined with numerous bronze statues of “yokai,” Japanese folk monsters that were a major focus of Mizuki’s work. The station, arcade shops, police boxes, street lights, and parks in the area all have been decorated with a yokai world theme. Some of the area’s many highlights include the kappa fountain, Youkai Shrine, and Gegege no Yokai Rakuen miniature theme park. This famous tourism destination is visited by large numbers of tourists not only from within the country but also around the world.
Mt. Daisen

Tottori Pref. Saihakugundaisenchou Daisen

This volcano in Tottori Prefecture is the highest peak in the Chugoku area. Part of the Daisen Oki National Park the mountain has an altitude of 1,729 meters and was selected as one of Japan’s top 100 mountains and 100 landscapes. The west side is a beautiful cone shape also called “Mt. Fuji of the east, Daisen of the west”. The main “summer mountain climbing course” aims for the summit while allowing climbers to look out over one of Japan’s greatest beech forests and natural monuments, Daisen Kyaraboku, a kind of Dwarf Japanese yew, growing en masse. This is popular with beginners and children too.
Gasho Aoyama Manga Factory

4.0

78 Reviews

Tottori Pref. Touhakugunhokueichou Yurashuku 1414

A museum located in Hokuei Town, Tohaku County, Tottori Prefecture which introduces the life and work of local manga artist Gosho Aoyama. The museum has artwork relating to “Case Closed (Detective Conan),” one of Aoyama’s most popular works; as well as reproductions of original drawings; an optical illusion and trick corner; and a corner presenting reproductions of some of the inventions appearing in the manga and show. There’s also a corner presenting the life and past works of Aoyama; the museum is a must-visit for lovers of Aoyama’s works from around the world. The museum shop sells original merchandise not available any place else.
Daisen Makiba Milk no Sato

4.0

41 Reviews

Tottori Pref. Saihakugunhoukichou Kobayashi Minasuna 2-11

A leisure facility located on the grounds of the Daisen Cattle Field in Houki Town, Saihaku County, Tottori Prefecture. 600 meters above sea level, the area offers a spectacular view of the Sea of Japan and Mt. Daisen. Numerous milk cows graze in the area, and visitors can enjoy the pastoral atmosphere as well as connecting with the animals. A variety of events are held at the site, and visitors can practice milking a cow using a model or try a confection-making class (reservation required). In the adjoining restaurant, you can enjoy dishes made with an abundance of fresh milk and dairy products. In addition to souvenirs, the shop sells a popular specially made soft serve ice cream limited to around 5,000 servings per day.
Sakaiminato Marine Products Direct Sales Center

Tottori Pref. Sakaiminatoshi Shouwamachi 9-5

A marine products direct sales center located along the coast a 20 minute walk from the popular Mizuki Shigeru Road tourism destination in Sakaiminato City, Tottori Prefecture. Sakaiminato boasts some of the largest fishing catches in the nation, and this direct sales center is one of the first places the city’s ultra-fresh marine delicacies are delivered to. 14 shops stand side by side in the center, selling fresh fish and processed marine products. Here you’ll find seasonal seafood sold at reasonable prices, such as Pacific bluefin tuna and Iwagaki oysters in summer, red snow crab from fall to early summer, and matsuba crab in winter. This popular marketplace attracts not only tourists but also local shoppers.
Kanemochi-jinja Shrine

Tottori Pref. Hinogunhinochou Kamochi

A Shinto shrine located in Hino Town, Hino County, Tottori Prefecture famed for granting worshippers luck with money and better fortunes. The shrine is said to have been founded in 810 when the second son of a Shinto priest in Izumo suddenly felt the gemstone amulet he was carrying become heavy while travelling through the area; he then built the shrine in accordance with instruction provided to him through a god in a dream. During the Jumbo lottery season, the shrine is visited by large numbers of worshippers. Four times a year, the shrine holds an event to exorcise and burn old wallets. The shrine sells yellow wallets and other tokens of good fortune, as well as lucky sweets.
Mizuki Shigeru Memorial Museum

4.0

248 Reviews

Tottori Pref. Sakaiminatoshi Honmachi 5

A museum located a 10 minute walk from Sakaiminato Station along the Mizuki Shigeru Road. The museum presents the work of Sakaiminato-born manga artist Shigeru Mizuki as well as the world of “yokai,” the Japanese folk monsters frequently featured in the artist’s works, and his characters. In addition to amusing models and images of yokai monsters as well as original pictures and explanatory materials, the museum also exhibits the yokai collection and travel notes of Mizuki, a man who loved to go on adventures. There’s a library where you are free to read manga comic books, and here you can find works that are now difficult to obtain on the open market.

Main Area

What is Tottori?

Tottori prefecture is Japanese seasonal diversity at its best: Huge sand dunes cover the north coast, making for the perfect summer beach trip complete with the unexpected addition of camels; November brings the delectable snow crab, while winter around Mount Daisen, the Chugoku region’s highest mountain, promises snow sports and magical views.

Tottori Overviews

Climate

Getting Around

A little off the beaten track, Tokyo to Tottori is likely to take you around five hours on a train starting on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen and changing onto the Super Hakuto at Himeji. For a speedier trip from Tokyo, jump on a plane from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport to Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport for direct access to the sand dunes or Yonago Kitaro Airport in the west of the prefecture if you’re arriving from overseas.