Tottori prefecture & city guide
Enjoy the sea breeze from the sandy hills of Tottori, the Japanese desert
Here’s our favorite times of the year to visit Tottori city and prefecture, while at the end of the page you’ll find an original itinerary to explore the city:
- During Obon festivities of mid August, you can enjoy the Shan-Shan Matsuri, with traditional umbrella dances during the day and a huge firework show at night;
- In mid December, during the crab fishing season, you can see the Sakyū Illusion winter illumination over the Tottori sand dunes and taste Matsuba crab dishes for dinner.
Festival & events in Tottori
Daisen Natsuyama Hiraki Matsuri
大山夏山開き祭
When: 1st weekend of June
[past dates: June 1 (2019), 2 (2018), 3 (2017)]
Where: from Daisen-ji Temple to Ōgamiyama-jinja Shrine
The festival main event is the taimatsu-gyōretsu procession, starting saturday at 19:30. Everyone can join, torchlights are sold up to 2000 people at less than 5 $ each.
Visit the official website (Japanese) to know more.
Pic © 34_xxmx
Yonago Gaina Matsuri
米子がいな祭り
When: last weekend of July (with exceptions)
[past dates: August 20~21 (2022), July 27~28 (2019), 28~29 (2018), 29~30 (2017)]
Where: Yonago Ekimae-dōri Street, in front of Yonago Station
Saturday main events are mantō (bamboo poles with paper lanterns hanging) exibitions along the street, both on day and night. On Sunday, a massive fireworks display is held at 20:00.
Visit the official website (Japanese) or check this flyer of a past edition to know more.
Pic © naomi.yamane
Tottori Shan-Shan Matsuri
鳥取しゃんしゃん祭
When: 13~15 of August, all years same days
Where: Around Tottori station
On August 14th, almost 4000 Japanese locals dance wearing yukata from 16:00 to 21:00, holding colorful "Shan-Shan" umbrellas. The last day, a big fireworks display takes place at 19:00.
Visit the official website (Japanese) and check the PDF program of a past edition to know more.
Pic © nori.n_photography
Tottori Sakyū Illusion
鳥取砂丘イリュージョン
When: from early December to Christmas days
[past dates: December 17~25 (2022), 7~22 (2019), 8~24 (2018), 9~24 (2017)]
Where: in front of Tottori Sakyū visitor center
Colorful illuminations are placed around the sand dunes entrance, while food stalls are waiting for you in the nearby parking lot. Tunnel lights over the sands are wonderful, lighted from 17:30 until 21:00.
Visit the official website (Japanese) to know more.
Pic © onigiro.com
Best things to do in Tottori
Suna-no-Bijutsukan
砂の美術館
Every year international sand artists gather from all around the world to create breathtaking sculptures. They are all masterpieces, with the thematic of the exhibition changing every year.
Shows of lights and music are performed daily at scheduled times, ask at ticket counter for the next show. To get here from the central train station, take the bus line bounded for Tottori Sakyū.
Check it on Google Maps or visit the english website to know more.
Pic © onigiro.com
Tottori Sakyū
鳥取砂丘
This is the biggest desert area in Japan, symbol of Tottori city. The highest dune is named "back of the horse" because of its shape. From up there you'll have a wonderful view on the Sea of Japan.
Here you can also experience unique activities like paraglading, sandboarding (snowboard over the sand) or riding a camel.
Check it on Google Maps or visit the official website (Japanese) to know more.
Pic © katsuya821
Karoichi
かろいち
A local market suggested to all the food lovers, where you can find fresh ingredients and food delicacies, both from the sea and from the farm fields.
In addiction to this, many small restaurants are located nearby so this is the perfect spot to have lunch with fresh seafood.
Check it on Google Maps or visit the official website (Japanese) to know more.
Pic © onigiro.com
Ame-daki
雨滝
This marvelous scenery is located in the heart of the forest, surrounded by nature. For this reason, the best time to visit this waterfall is autumn, to enjoy the leaves colors.
Close to the waterfall there is a parking lot since the only way to get here is by taxi, 30 minutes from Tottori station.
Check it on Google Maps or visit the official website (Japanese) to know more.
Pic © t01_et_moi
Uradome Kaizan
浦富海岸
This rocky coast is a very beautiful natural scenery, accessible both by taxi or train. From Tottori station, take the JR line to Iwami station, then ask for the kayak experience at nearby Tourism Information center.
The kayak sea experience is a popular 3 hours activity on transparent kayaks to admire the crystal clear sea down below. This activity can be done from May to September, at 9:00 or 13:00.
Check it on Google Maps or visit the official website (Japanese) to know more.
Pic © wonkyu_lee1
Nashi Kinen-kan
梨記念館
A museum dedicated to loads of pear varieties, but in particular to the nashi pear, extensively cultivated in Tottori prefecture. The symbol of this museum is a giant Nijisseiki pear tree with branches spreading for 20 meters in diameter and covering the whole ceiling.
Inside the museum's garden, you can see blooming pear trees at the end of April, while between September and October you can participate in the fruit picking activity.
Check it on Google Maps or visit the english website to know more.
Pic © mks160615
Tottori Hana-kairō
鳥取花回廊
Inside this garden you can enjoy blooms all-year-round. With 50 hectares of greeneries, you can have different views of Mount Dai-sen on the background.
Wild lily is the main flower, it has a fantastic smell and it is associated with images of purity. In winter, colorful illuminations are settled around the garden.
Check it on Google Maps or visit the english website to know more.
Pic © heart.5251
Tottori typical foods
Matsuba-gani
松葉蟹
This snow crab can be captured only between November and March, making it a winter delicacy. The best area to try it is the Karoichi fish market, close to Tottori port and surrounded by small restaurants.
The male crab is served boiled, steamed or tenpura fried, while female crab is used for soup since they have a stronger taste. This local specialty is a little pricy, so expect to spend at least 30 $ for a lunch.
Here's our favorite restaurants to try this dish: Kani Tairiku and Wakabayashi.
Pic © chamie___1018
Nashi
梨
This juicy fruit is extensively cultivated in Tottori prefecture. Its peculiarity is to have the shape of an apple and the peel of a pear. On Tottori restaurants, nashi are often used either to make desserts or mixed inside soy based meat marinades.
Close to the Tottori sand museum, Hashimoto farm is one of the many farms of the area where you can taste this delicious fruit picked by yourself, between September and October.
Pic © nashiyasan
Tottori local souvenirs
Sakyū Rakkyō
砂丘らっきょう
These small crunchy scallions are harvested on Tottori sandy fields in May. You can buy them on local markets, like the Karoichi fish market for example, stored as pickles with different flavors inside small packets or jars.
They're a really healthy snack, durable in time and original idea as souvenir. A big rakkyō field can be seen really close to the sand museum.
Pic © kuro_chan616
"The Tottori" Blended Whisky
鳥取ブレンデッドウィスキー
Property of Matsui Whisky Company, the Matsui-Kurayoshi distillery is located at the foothills of Mount Dai-sen, source of pure water used for the whisky distilling.
The aging process is made inside barrels of Mizunara Japanese oak and Sakura cherry wood. The results are international awards winning whiskeys.
Visit the english website to know more.
Pic © yjk.94
Tottori prefecture nearby destinations
Cities
Towns & more
- Kinosaki Onsen, a marvelous hot spring town where you can wander through the streets wearing a yukata;
- Matsue, where you can walk between samurai residences from the Edo-period;
- Izumo, famous for one of the most ancient shrines of Japan.
Tottori city transportation guide
Access to Tottori
By train, the closest bullet train stations are Okayama and Himeji, on San’in coast. From Okayama, take JR Super Inaba line for Tottori station, while from Himeji the JR Super Hakuto line.
Both train connections take 2 hours and are partially included withing JR Pass, because they need to use a private railway section. You can pay the extra fee while riding the train to Tottori. For more information on Japan railways, check our JR Pass and trains blog post.
By airplane, Tottori airport is close to Karoichi market, along the San’in coast.
Moving within the city
Since Tottori’s points of interest are scattered around the city, the best way to move are taxis. At the Tourist Information Center, you can reserve a taxi tour for 3 hours that will bring you through points of interests like Ame-daki Falls and the San’in coast. The cost should be around 20 $ each person.
To reach the sand dunes, there is a bus line running between Tottori central station and Tottori Sakyū Kaikan, close to the sand museum.
Bike rentals
You can rent a bike close to the central train station, at bike parking lot (second floor). The cost is 4 $ each day for normal bicycle and 8 $ for electrical assisted ones, check their official website (Japanese) for more.
From Tōkyō to Tottori
By airplane, it’s a 1 h flight costing about 150 $. If you also consider flight check-in and airport-to-city center connections, the required time grows to 3 hours and costs about 200 $.
By train, take JR Tōkaidō-San’yō Shinkansen line from Tōkyō to Himeji, and then JR Super Hakuto line to Tottori station. So, the overall connection requires about 6 hours and costs about 180 $ without the JR Pass.
Tottori 1 day itinerary
Tottori city can be easily visited within a day and here’s our suggested 1 day itinerary.
Morning
- 8:30 – 11:30 at the central station’s Tourist Information Center, reserve a taxi tour that will bring you throught the best points of interest of Tottori that are spread around the city;
- 11:30 – 12:00 after the tour, ask to the taxi driver to leave you at the Karoichi fish market area: among the many local foods, take some rakkyō scallions as souvenir, a delicious and healthy snack;
- 12:00 – 13:00 after the visit to the market, have lunch at one of the suggested restaurants to try the winter crabs or other local delicacies;
- 13:00 – 13:30 after lunch, ask to the restaurant staff to call a taxi for you and head to the Tottori sand museum (this taxi connection might be a little expensive, over 20 $ for the ride, but it’s the fastest way);
Afternoon
- 13:30 – 15:30 enjoy the visit to the sand museum, where sand sculptures are made by international artists and the museum thematic changes every year. At predetermined times, there are also light and music effects;
- 15:30 – 17:00 after the museum, have a walk on the famous sand dunes in front of the sea, a really unique panorama;
- 17:00 – 18:00 return to the information center, close to the sand museum, and take the bus headed for Tottori station to return to your hotel or your next destination if you are not staying overnight in the city.
