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 — hang-gliders, sandboards, and even camels await.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
"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.
Loop Kirinjishi. For the sand dunes and port, take this bus. A special sakyū bus runs from the train and central bus station — it plays the sand dunes' theme song as it goes by. The day pass can be purchased at the Tottori JR station tourist information booth, the Tottori tourist information center or directly on the bus. It includes free luggage storage. Single fare ¥300, day pass ¥600. (updated Oct 2023) ¥100 Bus Kururi. There are three routes: Red, Green and Blue. The buses depart every 20 minutes from JR Tottori Station. ¥100. (updated Jul 2020) The city center, between the train station and Mt. Kyusho, is easily navigable on foot.
1 Tottori Sand Dunes (鳥取砂丘 Tottori sakyū), ☏ +81 857-22-0021. 24 hr; special activities typically begin at 09:00. 16 km from east to west, the Tottori Sand Dunes are a favorite target for climbing, exploring, and more. The main portion of the dunes are much smaller than 16km (about 2 km, east to west), but they can still be impressive. If you arrive very early in the morning, you can see the unique patterns carved by the wind before they get trampled by the scores of people who come to climb the biggest dune. If you'd prefer not to get sand in your shoes, a cable car ride (¥200 one way) leads to the Dune Observatory Center.
1 Mt. Kyusho (久松山, Kyūshō-zan). Starting from the castle ruins, climbing takes around half an hour and offers a great view of the city and surrounding area, all the way out to the sand dunes. But watch out for the ghosts of those who starved at the top during the castle siege. (updated Apr 2016) 2 Tottori Hot Spring (鳥取温泉 Tottori onsen) (not far from JR Tottori Station). (updated Apr 2016) 3 Yoshioka Hot Spring (吉岡温泉 Yoshioka onsen) (25 minutes and ¥530 by Yoshioka Line bus from Tottori Station Stop 6). (updated Apr 2016) 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.
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). 1 Cafe Source (カフェソース), 227 Yayoi-cho (10 minutes walk from Tottori Station North Exit: head down Ekimae Dōri towards the city hall, and it will be on the right …
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. 1 Big Apple (ビッグアップル), 3-24-2 Koyama-cho higashi (A short walk north from JR Koyama Station, just off Route 9), ☏ +81 857-28-2413. Tue-Sun 18:00-02:00. By day, Big Apple is a diner for the neighborhood's factory workers, but on weekend nights they often bring in DJs and clear the tables from the dance floor. 2 Goldrush (ゴールドラッシュ), 178 Yayoi-cho, Okumura Bldg 2F, ☏ +81 857-20-2461. Mon-Sat 19:00-03:00.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €14 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-10-17. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy