Tottori Prefecture stretches along Japan's San'in coast on the Sea of Japan, home to the Tottori Sand Dunes, the country's largest coastal dune system, and the yokai-themed Mizuki Shigeru Road in the port town of Sakaiminato. Japan's least populous prefecture, Tottori pairs a dramatic, uncrowded coastline with Mount Daisen's hiking trails, the white-walled storehouse district of Kurayoshi, and radium-rich hot springs at Misasa and Kaike Onsen.
Top day trips
Handpicked excursions within easy reach.
Tottori Sand Dunes & Sand Museum
The Tottori Sand Dunes are a genuine coastal dune system, formed by sediment carried down the Sendai River and shaped by wind and sea, and they are the largest of their kind in Japan. Right beside them is the Sand Museum, an indoor hall that displays enormous sand sculptures built by international sculptors around a new theme each year and replaced when the exhibition changes. The dunes are a walk across open sand toward the sea, with dune ridges and a drop to the water; the museum is a separate, more air-conditioned experience of looking at large-scale sculpture up close.
Highlights: Uma-no-Se ('Horse's Back'), the tallest dune ridge, for panoramic sea views · Sandboarding, camel rides, and tandem paragliding all operating within walking distance of the entrance · The Sand Museum's rotating annual sand-sculpture exhibition · Free, 24-hour access to the dunes themselves
Uradome Coast & Iwai Onsen
The Uradome Coast is a stretch of jagged granite cliffs, small coves, and clear inlets along the Sea of Japan, best appreciated from the water rather than the road above it. Sightseeing boats run out from the coast into the coves, passing rock formations and sea caves that aren't reachable on foot. Iwai Onsen, a short hop inland, is a small hot spring town with a long-running claim to being one of Tottori's oldest, built around a handful of ryokan rather than a large resort strip.
Highlights: Sightseeing boat tour through the Uradome Coast's sea caves and rock arches · Swimming or snorkelling in Uradome Beach's clear, sheltered coves · Iwai Onsen's 1,300-year-old hot spring tradition and free footbaths · The rare Edo-period yukamuri towel-bathing custom, still practiced at some Iwai inns
Mount Daisen & Daisenji Temple
Mount Daisen is the highest peak in the Chugoku region and has long been treated as a sacred mountain, with a temple and shrine complex built into its forested lower slopes rather than at the summit. Daisenji Temple and the neighboring Ogamiyama Shrine sit along a stone approach lined with old cedar trees, forming a quiet mountain-temple precinct distinct from the hiking above it. Above the temple, marked trails climb through beech forest to the summit ridge, making this a destination that can be either a gentle temple walk or a serious hike depending on how far up you go.
Highlights: Daisenji Temple and the historic Ogamiyama-jinja Okunomiya shrine approach · The strenuous but rewarding Misen Peak Trail for hikers with a full day · Daisen-cho village's local dairy products and Daisen soba · A small ski area on the mountain's northern slopes in winter
Mitokusan Sanbutsuji & Misasa Onsen
Sanbutsuji is a mountain temple built directly into a cliff face, and its most famous structure, the Nageiredo Hall, appears to be wedged into a rock overhang high above the valley - reaching it involves an actual scramble up roots, chains, and narrow ledges rather than a paved path. Misasa Onsen, just down the road, is a small hot spring town known for radium-bearing waters, with ryokan and public bath facilities along the river rather than a large resort development. Together they pair a physically demanding temple visit with a quiet soak afterward.
Highlights: The chain-assisted pilgrimage climb to Nageiredo Hall, Japan's most dangerous National Treasure to visit · Kawara-buro, a free open-air riverside bath in the center of Misasa Onsen · One of the world's highest-radon hot spring towns, with 1,300 years of bathing history · A free distant viewpoint of Nageiredo Hall for those not attempting the climb
Kurayoshi Shirakabe Storehouses & Hawai Onsen
Kurayoshi's Shirakabe Dozogun is a row of white-walled, red-tiled storehouses lining the small Utsubuki-Tamagawa canal, dating from the Edo and Meiji periods when the town was a trading center. The district is compact and walkable, with old merchant buildings now holding shops, cafes, and small craft workshops rather than functioning as warehouses. Hawai Onsen, a short distance away, is a lakeside hot spring area on the shore of Togo Ike, offering a quieter, more residential contrast to the historic streets of Kurayoshi.
Highlights: Kurayoshi's Shirakabe storehouse district along the Tamagawa canal · Short Mount Utsubuki hike for views over the historic district · Hawai Onsen's lakeside hot springs on the shore of Lake Togo · Bicycle rental around Lake Togo from the Hawai/Togo Onsen Tourist Information Center
Sakaiminato Mizuki Shigeru Road & Yonago Castle Ruins
Sakaiminato is a port town on the tip of the Shimane Peninsula and the birthplace of manga artist Mizuki Shigeru, whose yokai (folklore monster) characters line the main shopping street, Mizuki Shigeru Road, as a long series of bronze statues. The street also has a dedicated museum devoted to his work, alongside shops and cafes themed around his characters. Yonago Castle Ruins, on the way back toward Tottori City, sit on a hill above Yonago with stone walls remaining from the original structure and a view over the surrounding city and coast.
Highlights: 177 bronze yokai statues along the 800-meter Mizuki Shigeru Road · The yokai-themed JR Sakai Line 'Kitaro Train' with renamed stations · Fresh seafood at Sakaiminato's working fishing port, one of Japan's largest · Yonago Castle ruins' 360-degree panoramic view over Yonago, Mount Daisen, and Lake Nakaumi
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Multi-day tours from Tottori
If you have longer than a day, these are organised multi-day trips that start here.
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Day trip tips
Make the most of your excursions.
Start early — most popular day-trip destinations get crowded by mid-morning.
Check return transport times before you leave — missing the last train or bus can be costly.
Carry water, snacks, and layers — weather and food options can be limited at smaller destinations.