Tottori

城市概覽

"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. Locals offered him lodging for the night, but the next morning, Junpei discovered that he was a prisoner at the bottom of a sandpit, which he and an unnamed woman must shovel out every day in order to keep the house and village from being swallowed in the endless, enigmatic movement of the sand. The city is the industrial center of the prefecture, with several big electronics factories for companies like Sanyo. The fishing industry is also quite lively. There are also two universities, which attract agricultural students and researchers from other parts of Japan and a small number of foreign students. Although the number of foreign residents in Tottori is low, compared to other major cities in Japan, its 190,000 locals are certainly friendly — and thoroughly unlikely to strand you at the bottom of a sand pit.

Tourist information 1 Tourist Information (鳥取市観光案内所), JR Tottori Station, ☏ +81 857-22-3318. 2 Tottori Sightseeing Association (鳥取市観光コンベンション協会), 160 Suehiroonsencho, ☏ +81 857-26-0756. M-F 09:00-17:00. 3 Tottori Sand Dunes Information Center (鳥取砂丘情報館サンドパルとっとり), 2083-17 Yuyama Hukube, ☏ +81 857-20-2231. 09:00-18:00 daily.

Tourist information site The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site. Clicking on "Language" leads to Tottori Prefecture's multilingual guide site.

如何抵達

By plane The nearest airports with regular international flights are Yonago and Okayama; however, travellers should also consider using Osaka-Kansai.

1 Tottori Airport (鳥取空港 TTJ IATA), 4-110-5 Koyamachonishi, ☏ +81 120-029-222, +81 857-23-3038. Served mainly by flights from Tokyo Haneda. Buses from Tottori Station run to the airport (20 minutes for ¥460). Several buses a day run to the Sand Dunes (20 min, ¥500). The nearest JR station, Tottori Daigaku-mae, is a 20-minute walk from the airport.

By train Limited express trains to the east take you to Kansai. The train goes to Himeji, Akashi, Sannomiya, Osaka, and Kyoto. Other limited express trains to the west connect with Kurayoshi, Yonago, Matsue, Izumo-shi, Hamada, Masuda, and Shin-Yamaguchi. The Super Inaba limited express train runs south to Okayama. For budget travelers, it is possible to reach Tottori from Okayama in 4 hours and ¥2,590 using the Tsuyama and Imbi Lines.

By bus Camel. Overnight bus from Shinagawa, Hamamatsuchō and Shibuya Mark City bus terminals in Tokyo. There is a "Camel" bus that goes to Yonago, so check the destination carefully. 10 hours. ¥10,500. (updated Jul 2020) West Japan JR Bus. 3 buses a day from Kyoto Station Karasuma Exit. 3 hr 30 min. One way ¥4,000, round trip ¥7,200. (updated Jul 2020) Nihon Kōtsū. Several routes from Osaka and Kobe. Tickets can usually be purchased at the departing bus station. 3800¥ from Osaka Umeda (Hankyu Bus Terminal). (updated Oct 2023) Princess Bird. Four buses a day from Himeji Station and Himeji Castle. 2 hr 30 min. ¥2,400. (updated Jul 2020) Merry Bird (Tottori Line). Two buses a day from Hiroshima Bus Center and Ōzuka Station. Not to be confused with the much more frequent Merry Bird service to Yonago. 5 hr 30 min. One way ¥4,500, round trip ¥8,000. (updated Jul 2020) Daisen. An overnight bus from Kitakyūshū and Fukuoka (Tenjin and Hakata). 10 hrs. One way ¥9,700, round trip ¥17,400. (updated Jul 2020)

當地交通

By bus 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)

On foot The city center, between the train station and Mt. Kyusho, is easily navigable on foot. From downtown, a wide and pleasant greenbelt leads to the beach. Starting from JR Tottori Station, walk west about 5 blocks to find the river, Sendai-gawa. Head right when you find the path. The walk takes about 45 minutes. To get to the sand dunes, it is best to take the bus. Walking would take a few hours.

必看景點

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. After heavy rains, the oasis below the uma no se (the largest dune) forms into a beautiful lake. The ¥300 loop bus is the cheapest way of getting to the dunes from Tottori Station; the local bus will cost ¥380, or ¥330 if you stop at "kodomo no kuni" stop, where you can walk right away on the dunes from the west side. For other activities that can be enjoyed at the sand dunes, see the "Do" section. Free. (updated Oct 2023)

2 Tottori Castle Ruins (鳥取城), Higashi-cho, ☏ +81 857-22-3318. 24 hr. Built in 1545, Tottori Castle was destroyed in a massive siege in the 19th century, and only the foundations remain. The surrounding park is the perfect place to go during cherry-blossom season. The site offers a nice view of the city below from the lower reaches of Mt. Kyusho, or you can climb to the top for a view of the whole valley. Some locals say that the mountaintop is haunted by ghosts of people who were forced to resort to cannibalism during the siege of the castle. Free. 3 Tottori Prefectural Museum (鳥取県立博物館, tottori-kenritsu hakubutsukan), 2-124 Higashi-cho, ☏ +81 857-26-8042. Tu-Su 09:00-17:00. A two-story museum that displays the flora and fauna of Tottori, regional rocks and minerals, historical artifacts, festival and local cultural artifacts, and a variety of art produced in the city. (Most of the prehistoric artifacts are reproductions; most

體驗活動

1 Mt. Kyusho (久松山, Kyūshō-zan). Starting from the castle ruins, climbing takes