Tottori Sand Dunes
The expansive and splendid Tottori Sand Dunes is the largest sand dunes in Japan. It has been nominated as a Natural Monument and Special Conservation Area due to its unique geographical features and plant communities peculiar to dunes, including wind ripples, Saren (stripe pattern on sand), and sand poles. Most importantly, it’s not common for visitors to admire giant sand dunes standing right next to the ocean. To see it in person may be an once-in-a-lifetime experience. Every year, it fascinates 1.3 million people.How did the Sand Dunes Form?
Tottori Sand Dunes has a history of over 100,000 years. Originally, Sendai River that flows from Chugoku Mountains brought the natural sediments to the sea; later the strong ocean current carried the sand to the coast, gradually forming the sand dunes. What’s more, the sand dunes have been shaped over years by the constant blowing of sea wind. Now it stretches for almost 16 kilometers (10 miles) along the coastline and some of the sand dunes are as high as 50 meters (165 feet).
Tottori Sand Dunes
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Popular Activities to Enjoy in Tottori Sand Dunes:
To come to the Tottori Sand Dunes is free and you only need to pay for the optional activities if you want. You may try camel riding, sandboarding, and paragliding on the sand dunes. Besides, Tottori Sand Dunes are doing well in accessible facilities. The wooden ramps everywhere make it possible for people with prams or wheelchairs to enjoy their trips.Camel Riding: The iconic camels riding is friendly to children and elders. And it’s not easy to find a place to ride a camel in other
places of Japan. The fee is around 1,000 JPY per person.
Fat Bike Riding: Fat bikes have bigger tires than usual bicycles, which makes it more suitable to ride on the sand. To ride fat bikes on the half-sea-half-sand area in Tottori Sand Dunes is quite dreamy and exciting. A 2-hour ride costs around 8,000 JPY.
Sandboarding: It’s a new sport derived from skiing and it’s popular among young people. To try sand boarding here only costs around 5,000 JPY.
Paragliding: To see the sand dunes from the air is also an exciting activity. No need to be afraid since you will be accompanied by
skillful trainers when paragliding. The fee is from 10,000 to 20,000 JPY depending on the agency you choose.
You can book the activities on the official website of National Parks of Japan or just pay for the activities on the spot. It’s also recommended that you, after the activities, take the chairlift to Sakyu Center's observation deck where you can enjoy the best scenery of the sand dunes.
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Special Views of Tottori Sand Dunes in Summer and Winter:
Summer is the time of the flower of Rakkyo (Japanese scallion), which is the specialty of Sand Dunes. You are going to see the red-purple flowers growing everywhere on the sand dunes.Besides, in winter, the scenery of Tottori Sand Dunes is even more astonishing than usual. The swathe of sand dunes is all covered with snow and once you’ve seen this spectacular view, you will never forget it.