Tottori

Tottori (鳥取市 Tottori-shi) and its sand dunes are among the best reasons to visit western Japan. There's more to do than climbing and collecting seashells &mdash; hang-gliders, sandboards, and even camels await.

Understand



 * "It's useless. The sand can swallow up cities and countries, if it wants to."

Kobo Abe's existential meditation on sand and work, The Woman in the Dunes (砂の女, Suna no Onna), was published in 1964. Although the novel does not mention Tottori by name, it was a natural choice for the film adaptation of Abe's book. "There has never been sand photography like this (no, not even in Lawrence of Arabia)," said Roger Ebert, of the Oscar-nominated film.

You will, almost certainly, have a better visit than did the story's protagonist, Niki Junpei; come to collect insects, Junpei was fascinated by the patterns and movement of the sand, and missed the last train. Locals offered him lodging for the night, but the next morning, Junpei discovered that he was a prisoner at the bottom of a sandpit, which he and an unnamed woman must shovel out every day in order to keep the house and village from being swallowed in the endless, enigmatic movement of the sand.

The city is the industrial center of the prefecture, with several big electronics factories for companies like Sanyo. The fishing industry is also quite lively. There are also two universities, which attract agricultural students and researchers from other parts of Japan and a small number of foreign students. Although the number of foreign residents in Tottori is low, compared to other major cities in Japan, its 190,000 locals are certainly friendly &mdash; and thoroughly unlikely to strand you at the bottom of a sand pit.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. Clicking on "Language" leads to Tottori Prefecture's multilingual guide site.

By plane
The nearest airports with regular international flights are Yonago and Okayama; however, travellers should also consider using Osaka-Kansai.



By train
Limited express trains to the east take you to Kansai. The train goes to Himeji, Akashi, Sannomiya, Osaka, and Kyoto. Other limited express trains to the west connect with Kurayoshi, Yonago, Matsue, Izumo-shi, Hamada, Masuda, and Shin-Yamaguchi. The Super Inaba limited express train runs south to Okayama. For budget travelers, it is possible to reach Tottori from Okayama in 4 hours and ¥2,590 using the Tsuyama and Imbi Lines.

On foot
The city center, between the train station and Mt. Kyusho, is easily navigable on foot. From downtown, a wide and pleasant greenbelt leads to the beach. Starting from JR Tottori Station, walk west about 5 blocks to find the river, Sendai-gawa. Head right when you find the path. The walk takes about 45 minutes. To get to the sand dunes, it is best to take the bus. Walking would take a few hours.

See




Outside the city center




Sand dunes
There's a lot to do at the sand dunes. Pay close attention to operating days and seasons, and make reservations before getting your heart set on a specific activity. For a vaguely Lawrence of Arabia experience, try a horse-drawn carriages ride.



Beaches
With the Sea of Japan as its northern border, Tottori has some excellent beaches.



Buy
Walking east from the station, you will find a string of small shops lining the main street to the right.


 * At the southeast corner of Sakaemachi, you will find a large two-story store in which everything for sale was made locally, including pottery, paper, clothing, dolls, and food.
 * At the southeast corner of Sakaemachi, you will find a large two-story store in which everything for sale was made locally, including pottery, paper, clothing, dolls, and food.

Eat
Tottori is most famous for its pears; cookies, cakes, and other sweets are made from them. Have a look at the omiyage shop in the train station, at the local handcraft shop two blocks up the main street, or in the basement floor of Maruyu. Another local specialty is shallots, grown in huge fields out near the sand dunes and pickled for appetizers.

Crab and white squid are the best of the local catch.

A number of popular chain restaurants can be found in the city center, such as Wara Wara (笑笑), Doma Doma (土間土間), and Shirokiya (白木屋).



Drink
To find the main drinking district, which is an area about 2 blocks by 3 blocks, walk about two blocks up the main street from the train station, take a right and go down about a block. There are plenty of izakaya and small pubs.



Go next

 * Iwami &mdash; Famous for the picturesque Uradome Beach
 * Misasa &mdash; Home to the mysterious cliff temple, Mitokusan Nageiredo and a nice hot spring.
 * Kurayoshi &mdash; Home to a well-preserved historic district.
 * Yurihama
 * Daisen &mdash; A great place for hiking in the warm months and skiing in the winter.
 * Wakasa &mdash; A nearby town with a nice ski resort.
 * Chizu
 * Tsuyama &mdash; One of the best places in the entire Chugoku region to view cherry blossoms in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall.
 * Okayama &mdash; Famous for its historic Kibi region, Momotaro, and Korakuen Garden, of Japan's top three gardens.
 * Many of Tottori prefecture's famous hot springs are easily accessible as day trips: Togo Hot Spring in Togo-cho, Shikano Hot Spring in Shikano-cho, Iwami Hot Spring,  Hamamura Hot Spring in Ketaka-cho, Sekigane Hot Spring in Sekigane-cho,  Hawai Hot Spring in Hawai-cho