The Tottori Sand Dunes & The Sand Museum are a must for anyone visiting the Chugoku region of Japan. Located in the San’in Kaigan Geopark on the Sea of Japan, this region has beautiful coastal drives, beaches and is home to the largest sand dunes in Japan.
The Sand Museum
The Sand Museum opened in 2006 and finished its 12th exhibition on 5 January 2020. The photos in this post are from this exhibition which was titled “Travel Around the World in Sand / South Asia”. Each year the exhibition changes and are equally impressive.
The displays are housed in a big shed which protects them from the weather, you can walk around the base of the sculptures and get close enough to see the intricate work that’s gone into creating them. Head up to the 2nd floor deck to look out over the whole room and see the sculptures flow into one another.
There are a couple of outside displays also which wind up a small path. At the top you can see the sand dunes spread out in front of you.
The museum is wheelchair and stroller friendly and only costs ¥600 to enter (the price might change when the new exhibition starts in April 2020).
Tottori Sand Dunes
Jumping back in the car and heading down the road another couple of minutes you reach the entrance to the Tottori Sand Dunes. The main carpark to the left costs ¥500 but the parking area behind the shops to the right is free.
This unique geographical feature is quite rare and a site to behold. The lack of tourism information in the past is one of the reasons it took me almost 15 years of living in Japan to visit the region. The photos I saw of the area years ago also didn’t do it justice.
Now the area has become quite developed with boardwalks, shops and facilities all supporting the main site of the dunes. You can enjoy camel rides on the dunes and other activities such as paragliding (seasonal).
Walking out on the dunes is easy and you don’t need any special footwear. There is a ramp off to the side of the main stairs so you can get to the sand in a wheelchair or with a stroller. However, once you have reached the sand unless you have a special equipped wheelchair/stroller you’ll be stuck at the top edge and can’t venture out over the hill.
Driving to Tottori and along the San’in Kaigan Geopark
It is possible to catch a train to Tottori, there are regular bus tours that depart from major cities such as Kobe and Osaka and you can even jump on a plane and fly into Tottori Airport. However, to experience the Japanese countryside and coastal roads, driving is the best option.
From Kobe, the drive takes around 3 hours through central Hyogo to the dunes. You can rent cars quite reasonably in Japan with a small car costing about ¥5000 per day.
We stopped at the town of Sayo on the way, this small village had a rest area where you can get a coffee, a bite to eat and fresh produce. A friendly local farmer approached me and showed me a small tourist information area with the local sights and history of the town (all in Japanese).
Before heading directly to the dunes, we veered off to the right and drove back into Hyogo Prefecture to discover the San’in Geopark coastal road and beaches. These sites are a real hidden gem of Japan. The rocky cliffs, sandy beaches and endless views out into into the ocean reminded me of something I would find back in Australia rather then Japan.
The San’in Kaigan Geopark stretches along the Sea of Japan from Kyotango in Kyoto Prefecture, across the top of Hyogo and into Tottori Prefecture.
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