The desert we want to talk about has its own charm, because it is located between the forest and the sea. Tottori Sand Dunes are the largest sand dunes in Japan and the most popular tourist attraction in Tottori. The dunes are located just outside the city center of Tottori and cover about 16 km of the coast of the Sea of Japan and their width is about 50 meters. They are also part of Sanin Kaigan National Park. A natural and exciting structure that has been formed over 100,000 years. These dunes are not only registered as a historical monument in Japan, but also as the first and most important tourist attraction of Japan. When you look at the area from a distance, you see only sand, but you do not know that a little further on, after the deceptive hills, there is a beautiful and attractive sea and a beautiful beach!
In this area, sometimes you can see a pond 400 meters deep, sometimes a hill 50 meters high and sometimes you can see beautiful shapes of sand formed by wind that rolls down and falls like an avalanche. These magnificent beauties are constantly changing. When you climb the left side of the dunes, you enjoy the endless sea view which is a spectacular and fascinating view. Seeing the Tottori sand dunes greatly affects humans. Once you reach the top of the dune you will reach the beautiful and attractive shore of the Sea of Japan where you can walk, run, paint and sculpt! The most enjoyable feeling you can get is when you are standing on the top of a dune and the cool beach breeze is caressing your face. If you stand on the dune at sunset, you will see a view that you will enjoy a lot!
These beautiful dunes have been built for 100,000 years by sediments formed from Mount Chugoku, which were dumped into the Sea of Japan by the Sendai River. Today, tidal movements and coastal winds are constantly changing the sand dunes and creating a constantly changing landscape. The dunes are said to have been longer, but have become smaller due to the government’s “revival of war” plan. Today, they are nestled in Japan’s Sanin Kaigan National Park.
Sanin Kaigan National Park is located in Tutori, Japan and was opened in 1963, then renamed a Geo Park in Japan in 2008 and then World Geo Park in 2010. This national park, of which Tottori Hills is a part, has a total area of 87.83 square kilometers and is famous for its 3 small bays, beautiful cliffs, islands and caves. Based on the research done on this park, it has been determined that the process of formation of the park dates back to 40 million years ago.
If you want to go to this beautiful place, you must first get to Japan. From there, divert to the beautiful city of Tottori. The city of Tottori is located in the east of Tottori Province, northeast of the Chugoku region, and is the capital of Tottori Province and the largest city in the Sanin District, with a population of over 200,000. Tottori Province is one of the provinces of Japan, which is located on the island of Honshu. To go to the dunes, we must first go to Tottori and then to the dunes. But how do we go?
ANA operates daily flights from Tokyo Handa Airport to Tottori Airport. Flight duration is 75 minutes. Another way is to take the Tokaido Shinkunsen Intercity Train From Tokyo to Himeji Station, then take the regular train to Tottori and then to the dunes. Of course, there are also trains that take 6 hours directly from Tokyo to Tottori. Keikyu & Nihon has also operated round-the-clock buses between Tokyo Terminal and Tottori Station. This journey takes 9.5 hours.
But after reaching Tutori, you can go to the hill in the following ways. It takes 20 minutes by taxi from Tottori station. If you take the bus to the hills from Tottori station, get off at the last station. It takes 20 minutes to get there. The bus runs every hour.
Since Japan has cold autumns and winters and spring and summer and mild, the best time to travel is spring and summer. If you go in autumn or winter, do not forget warm clothes.
