Tottori

©Tottori Prefecture/©JNTO

One of the interesting aspects of this place is the beautiful contrast between its extensive coastline and its mountainous region. Here you will find the largest sand dunes in Japan, the Tottori Sand Dunes, formed from volcanic ash.

Tottori Prefecture is located in the northeastern part of the Chugoku region. This prefecture is rich in landscape variations from one season of the year to another. The landscape of the area consists of a long coastline that stretches from east to west, narrow plains and a mountainous part symbolized by Mount Daisen. The cool green tones in spring and the striking colors of the leaves in autumn, especially on Mount Daisen, are an unforgettable experience due to their great beauty. They will be able to contemplate this magnificent landscape through the windows of the train that runs along the coast, the San-in line.

A large number of ancient ruins have been discovered in the area, mainly on the plains, dating from between 400 BC and 300 AD. The ruins of Aoyakamijichi and Mukibanda tell the long history of the fruitful exchanges between Tottori, the Korean peninsula and China.

The Tottori Sand Dunes are the most important in all of Japan (around 16 km from east to west and 2 km from north to south) and have formed on both sides of the mouth of the Sendai River. The Hakuto Coast is the cradle of Japanese legends about “Inaba no shiro-usagi” (the White Rabbit of Inaba) and is also home to the Daisen-Oki National Park which is located in Tottori. Of particular interest are the ancient fortified towns of Tottori and Kurayoshi. Other interesting activities in the region are: the Misasa onsen, historically famous for being one of the most important baths with therapeutic properties in the entire region due to the high natural content in radius of its spring and the ski slopes of Mount Daisen in winter. Visitors flock to Tottori during all four seasons of the year.

The various sights and museums displaying works by famous Tottori cartoonists are very popular. The Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory is a museum in which all kinds of material related to the author of “Detective Conan,” a worldwide hit comic, is presented. The Mizuki Shigeru Museum is dedicated to the works of Shigeru Mizuki, author of “Gegege-no-Kitaro,” a very famous yokai (spectrum) manga in Japan. Both museums are constantly packed with visitors of all ages. The bronze yokai statues scattered around various locations throughout the museum are also extremely popular.