- Attractions by Region -
Enjoy the very best of “Tottori” with Tottori Sand Dunes, Mt. Daisen, and Mizuki Shigeru Road.
Tottori Sand Dunes
One of Japan’s largest coastal dune landscapes facing the Sea of Japan. A symbol of Tottori where you can enjoy experiences such as paragliding and camel rides.
Mt. Daisen
A sacred mountain also known as “Hōki Fuji.” Its beech forests offer beautiful trekking in every season, and it is also a popular ski resort area.
Mizuki Shigeru Road
A shopping street themed around the world of “GeGeGe no Kitaro.” Over 120 bronze yokai statues line the street, and night-time illuminations create a mysterious atmosphere.
Japan’s “moving desert” with endless dunes and ocean views
A golden “moving desert” shaped by the Sea of Japan
Over more than 20,000 years, sand carried by the Sea of Japan has formed a vast dune field stretching about 16 km east–west and 2.4 km north–south.
In midsummer, the sand surface can reach 60°C, yet just 30 cm below it stays around 18°C, creating a natural “cool layer.” The large temperature difference between day and night draws delicate new wind ripple patterns every morning.
◆ History & Origin: Obsidian tools from the Jōmon period have been excavated here, suggesting that ancient people polished their fishing gear on these very sands.
◆ Highlights: At sunset the dunes glow amber, while on full-moon nights they turn silvery—two completely different but equally magical landscapes.
◆ Fun Fact: The sightseeing camels “changed careers” from Osaka in 1955 and have continued to pass the torch from one generation to the next.
◆ Access: About 20 minutes by local bus from JR Tottori Station to “Sakyu Center”; from there, a 3-minute lift ride takes you straight to a spectacular viewpoint.
Crystal-clear waters with up to 25 m visibility and dramatic ria coastline
An emerald ria coastline with 25 m visibility
Along the 15 km coast, granite cliffs and tiny white-sand coves alternate, creating endless “pocket beaches.” From glass-bottom boats you can see sea urchins and rocks clearly on the seabed thanks to the crystal-clear water.
Nicknamed the “Matsushima of San’in,” the scenery changes with the seasons—from soft spring greens to summer emeralds and dynamic winter waves crashing against the rocks.
◆ History & Origin: The coast is mentioned in the Heian anthology “Goshūi Wakashū,” and in the Edo period it prospered as a port of call for Kitamaebune trading ships, earning the nickname “sea Ginza.”
◆ Highlights: The silhouette of Sengan Matsushima at sunset and the “blue cave” accessible only by SUP are absolute photo favourites.
◆ Fun Fact: Locals joke that on particularly clear days the water is “so transparent it’s embarrassing for the captain,” because every manoeuvre of the boat is visible to passengers.
◆ Access: About 10 minutes by town bus from JR Iwami Station to “Uradome Coast Entrance.” Renting an e-bike for a breezy ride along the sea is also highly recommended.
Hike the “Mt. Fuji of Hōki” and stay under a sky full of stars
A sacred peak with four vivid seasons
At 1,709 m, Mt. Daisen combines a graceful ridgeline with rugged northern cliffs. Its primeval beech forests create dramatic seasonal scenes—fresh greens, fiery autumn foliage, and silver rime ice in winter.
From the summit, you can gaze out over the Yumigahama Peninsula and a sea of clouds, while at night a brilliant Milky Way turns the mountaintop into a “sky terrace.”
◆ History & Origin: Worshipped as a sacred mountain since the Nara period, Daisen-ji Temple gained renown as a guardian of cattle and horses, drawing devotees from across Japan.
◆ Highlights: Alpine flowers in summer, snow monsters in winter, and photogenic views pairing grazing Jersey cows with the mountain backdrop.
◆ Fun Fact: The summit toilet uses rainwater, so after long dry spells it switches to a “water-saving ascetic mode,” announced on-site with humorous signage.
◆ Access: About 50 minutes by bus from JR Yonago Station to “Daisen-ji.” After coming down, many hikers toast their climb with locally brewed Daisen G Beer.
Walk an 800 m yokai street lined with over 120 bronze statues
120 yokai statues welcome you—overtime in the spirit world at night
From JR Sakaiminato Station, an 800 m shopping street is lined with more than 120 bronze yokai statues and 35 stamp rally points. By day you can collect stamps, and at night shadow art and illuminations transform the area into “overtime hours” for yokai.
From eyeball-shaped sweets to fiery-hot “Kitaro Curry,” the street is filled with fun food, and the deeper you walk in, the more the human world gradually feels replaced by the yokai realm.
◆ History & Origin: The first 23 statues were installed in 1993, and the full line-up of 120 was completed in 2020.
◆ Highlights: At Yokai Shrine, a giant eyeball stone “blinks” once an hour, symbolically accepting visitors’ wishes with yokai energy.
◆ Fun Fact: The Konaki-jijii statue weighs about 20 kg. Those who try the “baby-carrying challenge” often complain of “yokai push-up arms” the next day.
◆ Access: Immediately outside JR Sakaiminato Station. About 25 minutes by car from Yonago Kitaro Airport, where even the signage is written in “yokai language.”
Step into a white Meiji-era mansion with views over Tottori Castle Ruins
A white Western-style mansion from the Meiji era
Completed in 1907, this Renaissance-style guest house was built by the former Ikeda clan to welcome the Crown Prince (later Emperor Taishō). White colonnades and red carpets create a glamorous Western atmosphere.
Chandeliers and a spiral staircase showcase the finest materials and craftsmanship of the time, while the windows frame Mt. Kyūshō and the stone walls of Tottori Castle as borrowed scenery.
◆ History & Origin: Designed by Tokuma Katayama of the Imperial Household Ministry, Jinpūkaku is the only surviving example of a Western-style guest house from the Meiji era in the San’in region.
◆ Highlights: Cherry blossoms in spring and vibrant foliage in autumn reflect beautifully off the white walls, and the second-floor balcony offers sweeping views of the old castle town.
◆ Fun Fact: The building served as a filming location for the “Rurouni Kenshin” movie series, and fans often recreate “high-speed sword-drawing” poses on the staircase.
◆ Access: About 10 minutes by 100-yen loop bus from JR Tottori Station to “Jinpūkaku / Prefectural Museum.” Kyūshō Park and the castle ruins are also within walking distance.
Pray at a National Treasure temple clinging to a sheer cliff
A National Treasure hall mysteriously “thrown” into a cliff
According to legend, the ascetic En no Gyōja used his spiritual powers in the late Heian period to throw this hall into a cave on a steep cliff face. After tackling chains, roots, and exposed rock along the ascetic trail, you will finally see the small hall seemingly glued to the wall of the cliff.
Perched on bare rock with hinoki-bark roofing, the building is a living architectural mystery that leaves everyone wondering, “How was this even constructed?”
◆ History & Origin: Mitokusan has long been a sacred training ground for Shugendō practitioners seeking enlightenment in the mountains. The tradition of “hall-throwing faith” has continued since the Heian era.
◆ Highlights: In autumn, the contrast between the crimson foliage and the dark hinoki-bark roof makes the hall look like a “temple floating in midair.”
◆ Fun Fact: Renting straw sandals at the trailhead is mandatory; regular sneakers actually slip more easily on the roots and mud, so the old-fashioned footwear is ironically safer.
◆ Access: About 40 minutes by bus from JR Kurayoshi Station to “Mitokusan.” After descending, many visitors head to Misasa Onsen for a well-deserved “hot-spring recovery.”
Step from the sea straight into a hot spring—“never-get-cold” seaside onsen
A seaside onsen for silky, long-lasting warmth
Discovered in 1900 on the sandy beach, Kaike Onsen is one of Japan’s leading chloride hot springs. Known for retaining heat and keeping you warm long after bathing, its water is often called “natural lotion” for its moisturizing power.
The beach and onsen town are side by side, so you can enjoy the ultimate chill cycle in a single area: morning run, a splash in the sea, and a soak in the hot springs.
◆ History & Origin: One of Japan’s oldest seaside hot spring resorts, Kaike flourished in the early Shōwa era as the “backyard retreat” for the Kansai region.
◆ Highlights: Open-air baths overlook both Mt. Daisen and the Sea of Japan, giving you a “three-in-one view” of mountain, town, and ocean at sunset.
◆ Fun Fact: Kaike hosted Japan’s first triathlon. Finishers say crossing the finish line into the onsen is the best possible recovery for tired legs.
◆ Access: About 20 minutes by local bus from JR Yonago Station to “Kaike Tourist Center.” Around 15 minutes by taxi from Yonago Kitaro Airport.
Red-tiled roofs and white walls reflecting on the river like a mirror
Retro water-mirror townscape with red tiles and white walls
Along the Tamagawa River stand sake and soy sauce breweries from the Edo to Meiji periods. Red-tiled roofs, white walls, green willow trees, and shimmering reflections combine to create a photogenic four-layer landscape.
At dusk, traditional lanterns light up and the white storehouses appear upside-down in the water, making the entire district feel like a nostalgic time capsule.
◆ History & Origin: In the late Edo period, Kurayoshi thrived as a post station on the San’in Highway and later developed into a sake-brewing town influenced by master brewers from Nada (Hyōgo).
◆ Highlights: Try “soy sauce soft serve” and add an extra drizzle of freshly drawn soy sauce—an addictive sweet-and-salty flavour bomb.
◆ Fun Fact: Even the red post box has a tiny tiled roof, making it so cute that even postal workers want to take photos of it.
◆ Access: About 12 minutes by bus from JR Kurayoshi Station to “Aka-gawara / Shirakabe Storehouses.” Free rental bicycles are available to explore side alleys and backstreets.
Just 5 minutes from “Conan Station” — AR tricks make you feel like a real detective
Boost your IQ in the hometown of a great detective
Original artwork, voice-acting booths, and AR mystery mazes let you “see, listen, and deduce” all at once as you dive into the world of Detective Conan.
Take a photo in front of life-size Ran’s karate kick, then tackle the mystery rally—correctly identifying the culprit will push your detective mood to the max.
◆ History & Origin: Opened in 2007, the museum preserves early sketches from Gosho Aoyama’s childhood and materials from his debut works.
◆ Highlights: With AR goggles, a silhouetted culprit suddenly appears at the “crime scene,” turning your surroundings into a virtual investigation.
◆ Fun Fact: The door chime cheerfully declares “There is only one truth!” so visitors enter with their heart rate already elevated.
◆ Access: About 5 minutes on foot from JR Yura Station (nicknamed Conan Station). Footprint marks on the pavement guide you all the way to the museum.
One of the world’s largest greenhouses and a 1 km flower corridor framing Mt. Daisen
360° flower views with Mt. Daisen as a living picture frame
Spanning 15 hectares, this flower park features one of the world’s largest greenhouses and a 1 km roofed circular corridor, so you can enjoy flowers comfortably in rain or snow without an umbrella.
In spring, one million tulips bloom; in summer, 50 varieties of lilies; and in winter, 170,000 illumination bulbs light up the night—with Mt. Daisen as a dramatic backdrop all year round.
◆ History & Origin: Opened in 1999 as a wide-area municipal park straddling the towns of Hōki and Nanbu.
◆ Highlights: During night illuminations, the greenhouse glows in seven colours while flowers and lights combine with Mt. Daisen to form a “moving painting.”
◆ Fun Fact: The on-site carts are used for autonomous driving trials, allowing passengers to cruise through the flower fields feeling like captains of a “flower ship.”
◆ Access: About 40 minutes by free shuttle bus (weekends and holidays) from JR Yonago Station. About 10 minutes by car from the Yonago Expressway Mizoguchi IC, with parking for around 2,000 cars.
The world’s first museum dedicated to giant sand sculptures with a new theme every year
A fleeting palace of sand art that takes you around the world
Using only sand from the Tottori Sand Dunes and underground water, artists carve intricate sculptures up to 5–10 m high. After the exhibition ends, everything is intentionally destroyed—a museum that lets you savour the beauty of impermanence.
A different country or region is chosen as a theme every year, and dramatic lighting and sound effects give the sand sculptures a breathing, life-like presence.
◆ History & Origin: Started as an outdoor event in 2006, The Sand Museum became a permanent indoor facility in 2012—the world’s first museum dedicated solely to sand sculptures.
◆ Highlights: During night-time illuminations, every grain of sand gains depth and the sculptures look as if carved from marble.
◆ Fun Fact: After each exhibition, the sand is reused on-site for levelling the grounds and stockpiled for snow removal, making the museum quietly eco-friendly.
◆ Access: About 20 minutes by bus from JR Tottori Station to “The Sand Museum.” The Tottori Sand Dunes are only a 5-minute walk away.
Birthplace of the “White Rabbit of Inaba” legend and a romantic power spot
A shrine where a mythical rabbit brings people together
Hakuto Shrine stands where the “White Rabbit of Inaba” in the Kojiki myth is said to have brought Ōkuninushi and Princess Yakami together. Within the grounds, 46 stone rabbits are hidden here and there, watching over visitors.
At the sacred Misogigaike pond, rinsing your skin with the spring water is believed to bring both fairer skin and better romantic fortune. On weekends, the shrine is especially popular with couples and girls’ trips.
◆ History & Origin: An ancient shrine mentioned in the Nara-era “Izumo Fudoki.” Until the Meiji period, the coastline around Hakuto was all considered part of the sacred precinct.
◆ Highlights: Write your wishes on rabbit-shaped ema plaques and try tossing “knot stones” onto the upper beam of the torii—if they land and stay, your chances of love success are said to rise.
◆ Fun Fact: All omikuji here come in tiny rabbit capsules, which almost inevitably end up as adorable desk mascots back home.
◆ Access: About 40 minutes by bus from JR Tottori Station to “Hakuto Shrine.” About 2 minutes by car from Hakuto Coast IC.
The site of Hideyoshi’s infamous siege, with mountain and hillside stone walls
Stone walls that still tell the story of a brutal siege
Built over Mt. Kyūshō (263 m), Tottori Castle was a mountain fortress that famously endured Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s starvation siege in 1581.
The tall stone walls of the lower enclosure and the multi-layered terraces evoke the hardships of the defenders, while the summit—where the main keep once stood—offers sweeping views of the Tottori Plain and the Sea of Japan.
◆ History & Origin: Initially constructed by the Yamana clan in the Sengoku period, the castle later served as the political centre of the 320,000-koku Ikeda domain for over 270 years in the Edo period.
◆ Highlights: Around 240 cherry trees bloom in spring, turning the stone walls into pink tapestries. The night-time illumination is often described as a “floating raft of blossoms in the sky.”
◆ Fun Fact: Thanks to the great view and stable phone signal, benches at the main keep site are jokingly recommended as perfect spots for “castle-top workcations.”
◆ Access: About 8 minutes by 100-yen loop bus from JR Tottori Station to “Jinpūkaku / Prefectural Museum.” The trailhead to the castle ruins is a 3-minute walk from the bus stop.
A giant glass pear tower where you can learn and taste everything about pears
A sweet-and-tangy “universe of pears”
Centered around a 10 m-tall glass “pear tower,” this is Japan’s only museum dedicated to pears, covering their history, varieties, and recipes.
Seasonal tasting corners let you sample fresh slices of Nijisseiki and Ōshu pears, while pear smoothies are so popular they often sell out before the day is over.
◆ History & Origin: Kurayoshi is the birthplace of 20th Century Pear cultivation, which began shipping nationwide in 1904. The museum preserves DNA from the original mother tree.
◆ Highlights: In the harvest season, you can join the “pear peeling time attack,” where local masters reportedly peel one perfectly in as little as seven seconds.
◆ Fun Fact: The dried pear chips sold at the museum were developed to match space-food standards, with an eye on one day going to the ISS.
◆ Access: About 10 minutes by bus from JR Kurayoshi Station to “Kurayoshi Park Square.” The museum is right next to the stop.
From Matsuba crab to nodoguro — a paradise of freshly landed seafood
San’in’s top-class “refrigerator of the sea”
Adjacent to one of Japan’s leading fishing ports, this lively market features 13 shops lined with live crabs from 8 a.m., accompanied by the echo of wholesalers’ auction calls.
You can enjoy sashimi and crab soup prepared on the spot with “zero-minute freshness,” and the generous free sampling of dried fish and delicacies makes it hard to leave with an empty stomach.
◆ History & Origin: Since the 1950s, Sakaiminato has developed as a major base for offshore tuna fishing, and today it ranks among Japan’s top ports for red snow crab and Matsuba crab landings.
◆ Highlights: At the first auction of the season, spectators get excited betting on the colours of the tags attached to premium Matsuba crabs—a local tradition of “tag fortune-telling.”
◆ Fun Fact: The roof of the market is topped not by a weathercock but a “weather crab,” whose claws bob up and down in strong winds, giving fishermen a playful read on the day’s conditions.
◆ Access: About 10 minutes on foot from JR Sakaiminato Station. Roughly 20 minutes by car from Yonago Kitaro Airport.
One of the world’s leading radon hot springs with riverside baths and a living spa culture
“Breathe in the miracle of radon”
Misasa is renowned for a world-class concentration of naturally occurring radon, a weak radioactive gas. Bathing, breathing, and even drinking the water is said to activate cells through “hormesis effects.”
Retro wooden inns line the river, and the free open-air “Kawara Bath” sits right by the water. At night, steam and lanterns create a dreamy hot-spring town atmosphere.
◆ History & Origin: According to legend, the monk Jikaku Daishi discovered the spring in 1164 after being guided by a white wolf, which is why it is also called “Wolf Hot Spring.”
◆ Highlights: During the Misasa Onsen Festival in May, the “hot-water pouring ritual” is performed to pray for the health of visitors and locals alike.
◆ Fun Fact: It’s officially recommended to take deep breaths within 40 minutes after soaking—the amount of radon absorbed by inhalation is said to roughly double.
◆ Access: About 20 minutes by bus from JR Kurayoshi Station to “Misasa Onsen Entrance.” Around 40 minutes by car from the Tottori Expressway Yubara IC.
Fluffy pancakes made with free-range eggs at a countryside farm café
A “sweets kingdom” built around premium Tenbiran eggs
At this farm, free-range chickens produce the brand egg “Tenbiran,” used to make over 1,000 fluffy soufflé pancakes a day—so popular they often sell out by noon.
You can also visit the Baumkuchen bakery, try hands-on pudding making, and spend time with goats and alpacas, enjoying a slow, sweet “farm time.”
◆ History & Origin: Established in 1994 on the site of a closed elementary school, Oenosato has grown into a “rural theme park” that now welcomes around 600,000 visitors a year.
◆ Highlights: The glass-walled café overlooks the Hattō River and the surrounding mountains, creating the perfect backdrop for Instagram-worthy egg Benedict shots.
◆ Fun Fact: The egg vending machine includes a “hot boiled egg” mode, a secret saviour for late-night drivers in need of a quick snack.
◆ Access: About 7 minutes by taxi from Hattō Station on the Wakasa Railway. Around 25 minutes by car from the Tottori Expressway Chizu IC.
A 43 m-high circular observatory with panoramic views of the Sea of Japan and Mt. Daisen
A glass lighthouse connecting sea and sky
The 43 m-tall glass observatory offers a 360° see-through corridor, where you can look down over the fishing port, up at Mt. Daisen’s ridgeline, and out across sunsets over the Sea of Japan.
On the lower floors you’ll find specialty products from Tottori, Shimane, and overseas sister ports, letting you “taste the sea” from many different regions.
◆ History & Origin: Originally built for the 1997 Japan Expo and later renewed, the tower was designed to resemble a mast reaching toward the future.
◆ Highlights: At dusk, sky and sea gradients reflect off the glass floor, making it feel as if you’re taking a walk in midair.
◆ Fun Fact: The nearby footbath sits at roughly sea level, so photos can make it look like you’re soaking your feet right on the surface of the ocean.
◆ Access: About 8 minutes by bus from JR Sakaiminato Station to “Yumeminato Tower.” Roughly 15 minutes by car from Yonago Kitaro Airport.
A full-scale imperial Chinese garden with ponds, pavilions, and winding corridors
A slice of China’s imperial splendour in San’in
Built by 145 craftsmen invited from Beijing, this 10,000 m² garden recreates the grandeur of an imperial court with pavilions, covered corridors, and zigzag bridges—often described as a “mini Forbidden City.”
Daily performances include Beijing opera and costume shows, and you can enjoy dim sum sets while strolling through an atmosphere that feels 120% like a trip to China.
◆ History & Origin: Opened in 1996 as a symbol of friendship between Tottori Prefecture and Hebei Province, serving as a base for cultural and tourism exchange.
◆ Highlights: At night, red lanterns glow in reflection on the pond, and the dragon wall creates a dramatic “twin dragons” image on the water surface.
◆ Fun Fact: Walking the entire corridor takes about 1,111 steps, which staff explain is considered auspicious for “eternal prosperity” in feng shui.
◆ Access: About 10 minutes on foot from JR Matsuzaki Station. Roughly 5 minutes by car from the San’in Expressway Hawai IC.
A 1,200-year-old hot spring famous for its “yukamuri” ladling ritual
A thousand-year spring poured over your head with a ladle
With a pH of 8.4, Iwai’s simple alkaline waters are known as “silk hot water” for their smooth skin feel. Wooden ladles are provided in guest rooms so you can practice the traditional “yukamuri” style of bathing—scooping water over your head and shoulders.
Just three historic inns line this quiet valley, and strolling the lanes in yukata and wooden geta makes you feel as if you’ve slipped back in time.
◆ History & Origin: Said to have been discovered in the Nara period by the monk Jikaku Daishi, Iwai is considered the oldest hot spring in the San’in region, with 1,200 years of continuous use.
◆ Highlights: During the Yukamuri Festival each April, maiko performers scatter hot water with ladles to pray for the health and safety of the community.
◆ Fun Fact: You can drink the 42°C source water from a special tap—its faint sulphur flavour makes “hot-spring soda” a quirky local treat when mixed with fizzy drinks.
◆ Access: About 12 minutes by town bus from JR Iwami Station to “Iwai Onsen.” Around 25 minutes by car from the Tottori Sand Dunes.
A highland dairy farm at 700 m where you can enjoy soft-serve with a mountain panorama
Fresh milk soft-serve on a “sky meadow”
Located within Daisen-Oki National Park, this pasture is home to free-grazing Jersey cows. Fresh milk processed within 24 hours becomes rich yet surprisingly light soft-serve, the star of the facility.
The restaurant serves cheese fondue and you can try butter-making workshops, while photo spots allow you to capture the cows and Mt. Daisen’s cliffs in a single frame.
◆ History & Origin: Opened in 1997 after a former pasture was revitalised by Tottori Prefecture and the local community as a “public theme farm.”
◆ Highlights: Young green meadows from April to June and shimmering silver pampas grass in October create stunning seasonal contrasts with the north face of Mt. Daisen.
◆ Fun Fact: The soft-serve ice cream is so dense that staff boast you can turn the cone upside down without it falling—“Japan’s most shake-proof ice cream,” as they jokingly call it.
◆ Access: About 50 minutes by bus from JR Yonago Station to “Milk-no-Sato Entrance.” Roughly 10 minutes by car from the San’in Expressway Daisen Kōgen IC.
A “castle in the sky” with night views over the Sea of Japan and Mt. Daisen
Stone walls in the sky with double reflections at night
Built on Minatoyama (90 m), this multi-enclosure castle site offers panoramic 360° views from the former main keep foundation, overlooking Mt. Daisen, Nakaumi Lagoon, and the Sea of Japan.
After dark, city lights reflect off the water, earning the spot recognition as one of Japan’s best reflection night views. In spring, cherry blossoms and stone walls are illuminated together for a dreamy scene.
◆ History & Origin: Constructed in 1601, Yonago Castle once boasted a five-story keep under lord Nakamura Kazutada, but it was destroyed by fire toward the end of the Edo period.
◆ Highlights: Legendary “whale stones” within the walls and the remains of wells captivate castle-ruin enthusiasts.
◆ Fun Fact: Benches at the top are equipped with USB charging ports, offering a welcome lifeline to night photographers running low on battery.
◆ Access: About 20 minutes on foot from JR Yonago Station. Free walking sticks are available at the trailhead for those who want extra support.
About 4,000 cherry trees blanket the “Little Mt. Fuji” of Kurayoshi
A flower stage draped over Kurayoshi’s “Little Mt. Fuji”
Uchibuki Park spreads along the northern foot of Mt. Uchibuki (204 m) and is designed as a strolling-style landscape park. From late March, roughly 4,000 Somei-yoshino cherry trees bloom together, earning it the nickname “Western Yoshino.”
Azaleas brighten early summer, maple leaves glow in autumn, and winters are scented with robai (wintersweet), ensuring seasonal flowers never cease. There are also viewpoints overlooking the white-walled storehouse district down below.
◆ History & Origin: Opened in 1904 and later refined with help from modern Japanese garden master Tanami Taiami.
◆ Highlights: During the cherry-blossom festival, about 1,000 lanterns light up the park, creating a tunnel of blossoms at night.
◆ Fun Fact: The resident Indian peacocks in the small animal area are known to show off their tail feathers especially often during hanami season, becoming accidental social media stars every year.
◆ Access: About 15 minutes by bus from JR Kurayoshi Station to “Aka-gawara / Shirakabe Storehouses,” then roughly 5 minutes on foot.
Free admission aquarium where you can actually touch Matsuba crabs
The sound of clacking claws as your background music
Unlike regular aquariums, this unique facility has touch pools where you can reach in and gently hold live Matsuba crabs. Exhibits explain shell moulting and show off impressive crab shells and measuring stations for budding “crab scientists.”
The star of the show is a giant glass tank where white sharks and red snow crabs share the water—so compelling that adults often end up more absorbed than the kids.
◆ History & Origin: Opened in 2011 by the Tottori Prefectural Fisheries Cooperative to promote local “crab culture” through a compact, hands-on aquarium.
◆ Highlights: Four times a day, staff feeding sessions turn into a spectacle as crabs “moonwalk” through the water to reach their food.
◆ Fun Fact: The on-site gacha machines offer more than 100 different crab magnets, drawing completionists who hang around until they’ve collected their favourites.
◆ Access: About 15 minutes by bus from JR Tottori Station to “Karo Port Entrance,” then 3 minutes on foot. Roughly 10 minutes by car from the Tottori IC.
A 1,300-year-old centre of Mt. Daisen worship with a famous maple-lined approach
The spiritual heart of Mt. Daisen’s mountain faith
Founded in 718, Daisen-ji flourished as a major base of mountain Buddhism with about 3,000 warrior monks at its height. The Amida Hall, a National Important Cultural Property, looks spectacular when illuminated at night.
The 700 m stone-paved approach is lined with around 1,000 maple trees, forming a fiery red tunnel of leaves from late October that is known as the “autumn foliage corridor.”
◆ History & Origin: In the Heian period, Daisen-ji came under the direct control of Mt. Hiei’s Enryaku-ji Temple and developed its own “Daisen Esoteric Buddhism.” Though it suffered damage during the Meiji-era anti-Buddhist movement, it has been steadily restored.
◆ Highlights: In February, snow lanterns line the approach during a special “snow pilgrimage” event, creating a serene white world of esoteric Buddhist rituals.
◆ Fun Fact: The local specialty “Daisen manju” (baked buns) sold at the gate is jokingly said to provide just enough calories to “gain 1 m in altitude” if you eat two before climbing.
◆ Access: About 10 minutes on foot from the Daisen-ji bus stop. Roughly 15 minutes by car from the Daisen Smart IC on the Yonago Expressway.
Literally the “Rich Shrine” — a hotspot for lottery luck
Japan’s most literal “money shrine” where fortunes rain down
Named after the local place name “Kanemochi” (rich), this unique shrine enshrines Amanokunidama-no-kami and is said to bless visitors with financial luck. Washing coins in the sacred “money-washing pond” is believed to help wealth multiply.
The approach is packed with ema plaques reporting big lottery wins, and the bright yellow lucky coin pouches sell around 30,000 pieces per month.
◆ History & Origin: Founded in the Heian period, the shrine later became a guardian of trade and logistics along the Hino route, solidifying its connection to prosperity.
◆ Highlights: At the spring festival on April 29th, staff throw mochi sprinkled with gold leaf in a “golden shower” that sends visitors scrambling to catch them.
◆ Fun Fact: A gacha machine at the shrine sells “gold bar erasers,” and a few lucky winners receive a 1 g piece of real gold.
◆ Access: About 10 minutes by car from JR Neu Station. Around 15 minutes by car from the Kōfu IC via Route 35.
A 40-minute cruise weaving through sea caves and jagged ria coastline
A splashy ride through emerald seas and sea caves
The boat comes within just a few metres of 20 m-high sea caves and granite columnar joints, letting you experience the raw geology up close over a 40-minute course.
On calm days, engines are cut inside the “blue cave,” where cobalt light fills the interior and the boat seems to float in the air.
◆ History & Origin: Cruises have operated here since 1962, making this one of the signature activities of the San’in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark. About 120,000 people board each year.
◆ Highlights: In summer, special sunset cruises show the sun setting over Sengan Matsushima, turning the rock into a fiery natural lighthouse on the horizon.
◆ Fun Fact: Locals say captains can predict the weather with 80% accuracy just by listening to the “roar” of waves inside the caves—sometimes more accurate than TV forecasts.
◆ Access: About 7 minutes by bus from JR Iwami Station to “Uradome Sightseeing.” Around 15 minutes by car from the Tottori Sand Dunes.
Japan’s largest brackish lake for sunset kayaking and birdwatching
Brackish lagoon where you can cruise a “lake that feels like the sea”
With a circumference of about 18 km, Koyama-ike is Japan’s largest lake classified as a “pond.” Its brackish water nurtures a unique ecosystem, and reed-bed kayak tours let you watch grebes and kingfishers up close.
At sunset, the sun sinks behind the Tottori Sand Dunes and paints a golden path across the water. If you pause your paddle, you’ll find yourself in a 360° “mirror room” of colours.
◆ History & Origin: In the Jōmon period this area was an inlet of the sea; over time, the growth of the coastal dunes closed it off, forming today’s lagoon. Pottery from the Yayoi period has been excavated from the lakebed.
◆ Highlights: In autumn, around 30,000 geese arrive in V-shaped flocks, creating what locals lovingly call an “airborne fish school.”
◆ Fun Fact: Local folklore speaks of a “Koyama Dragon” sleeping on the lakebed—the tapping sounds on the bottom of your boat at night are said to be its tail, not ordinary catfish.
◆ Access: About 15 minutes by rental bicycle from JR Tottori Daigaku-mae Station. Roughly 8 minutes by car from Tottori Airport.