Travel Japan: Tottori

Tottori is situated on the Sea of Japan, with the Sendai River running through it. Japan’s largest sand dunes stretch 16 km along the coast of Tottori-ken, and they are the main sightseeing destination.

I have visited Tottori City twice now – in spring and in winter. It was lovely in both seasons, but with summer coming soon I would definitely consider visiting again as the beaches look amazing. Near the dunes you can go swimming, and further up the coast is good for surfing too.

There is a lift at the sand dunes for 200 yen each way, but you will still need to walk up the sand dunes, it is really just a novelty. It doesn’t take long to hike up, and the views are definitely worth it. For a moment you may think you are in another country, as there are camels at the sand dunes! You can ride a camel for 1800 yen, or 3000 yen for two people. To have your photo taken with the camel is 500 yen. There is also a horse carriage ride which costs 1000 yen per person for a 15 minute round trip along the dunes. From April 19th to November 30th you can do sand boarding at the dunes. There are many souvenir stores around the area, and it can feel a little touristy, but once you are at the top of the dunes it is just natural scenery all around you.

We stayed at Yanagijaya free campsite which had a nice kitchen area, clean toilets, and areas to have camp fires. At night we went into town to enjoy the onsen. Tottori is known for its hot springs. Tottori Hot Spring is just 5 minutes from Tottori station, but there are many others in Tottori and the surrounding areas.

One of the best parts of travelling for me is trying the local foods. Tottori is known for crab (winter), mushrooms, shallots, beef, and pears (late summer/early autumn). Pear soft-cream has a very mild taste, but is delicious. Near Tottori port there are seafood markets, and we also found some nice restaurants with very fresh seafood for lunch.

Where to stay

We stayed at Yanagijaya Campground (柳茶屋キャンプ場) which is a free campsite right next to Kids’ Land (こどもの国 Kodomo no kuni). From Tottori Station it is about 20 minutes by bus. It is west of the sand dunes and is a lovely shady campground with toilets and kitchen area.
☎0857-20-3227
http://www.oreraryu.com/field/yanagijaya.html

Next to the campground is the Tottori-shi cycling terminal. It is a guesthouse as well as providing information about cycling in Tottori. Rooms are priced from 3000 yen a night. ☎0857-29-0800

There is a Toyoko Inn in Tottori called Tottori-eki Minami-guchi which is priced from 5000 yen a night for a single room with breakfast.
http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/

Oasis Minshuku (オアシス) is just five minutes from the sand dunes. Rooms are priced from 4000 yen. Breakfast is 500 yen and dinner is 2500 yen. ☎ 0857-23-0227

Ladies Inn Tottori (レディス　イン　鳥取) is for women only and rooms range from 4500-5300 yen.
☎ 0857-23-8161

Wel City Tottori (ウェルシティ 鳥取) is a business hotel with Western-style rooms from 4500 yen. Dinner is available from 1000 yen. ☎ 0857-22-8100

Getting there

We drove a car to Tottori City which takes about 2 ½ hours from Himeji.
By train it can take 2 hours from Himeji (with a few changes) and it costs 4200 yen each way. There is also a direct train from Himeji which costs 4600 yen and only takes 1 ½ hours.

Other Information

Tottori information centre at JR Tottori station is very helpful, and they can help you to arrange accommodation or suggest sightseeing. ☎0857-22-3318

Sand boarding is 2500 yen for a 2 hour lesson and rental. Sand boarding season is April 19th – November 30th. Reservations are required. ☎ 0857-23-1749