TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Nestled along the coastline of the Japan Sea is the white Tottori Sand Dunes. The dunes’ ever-shifting wind ripples on the surface and the changing colors of the seasons attract visitors year-round. This area is also being recognized as a venue for art events such as the “Sand Museum”.

Landscape Formed by Winds

Being the largest of the three great sand dunes in Japan, the Tottori Sand Dunes covers an expanse of 16km in length and 2.4km in width along the coastline of the Sea of Japan. It is designated as a special protection area in the San-in Kaigan Quasi National Park.

The name “Tottori Sand Dunes” is very well-known nationwide, but few know how and when they were developed. The dunes took shape during the Jomon to the Kofun period, some thousand years ago, when the granite in the Chugoku Mountains was carved, carried and deposited in the ocean bed by the Chiyo River as gravel, which then was blown back onto the coast by winds from the north. Over time, the gravel eroded into fine sand called “masado” to form rows of dunes standing diagonal to the coastline. Some peaks could reach as high as 47 meters, making steep cliffs on both sides.

The sand dunes are not an infertile dry land as widely believed. It rains and snows during the Monsoon and winter time, and local wild flowers of the season flourish on moisture collected on lower ground.
The most attractive feature of the sand dunes may be the wind ripples. The winds that come down the mountains or come across the ocean change the landscape sometimes wildly, sometimes gently. The best times to enjoy the vista are in the early morning when the terrain is untouched and during sunset when the sky and the ocean change their colors.

If wind ripples are the best of natural beauty, sand sculptures are what represent artificial beauty. This foreign-born, 20-year-old form of art is an ultimate “play with sand”that is made only with sand and water. However elaborately designed and done, sand statues are destined to collapse soon. But short life is a part of the charm of this art.

Visitors can watch a collection of sand sculptures at the Tottori Sand Dunes, at events called the “Sand Museum”. This year’s event is the fourth since its start in 2006. In the past, visitors from all over the country came to see the replicas of historical icons, such as the World Heritage landmarks, made by artists worldwide. The next event will be held in April 2012 (permanent exhibitions can be seen year-round).

Mr. Katsuhiko Chaen, Japan’s only professional sand sculpture artist and the producer of the events says that his wish is “to make these events a trendsetter of Japan’s sand arts.”

The Tottori Sand Dunes also provides many other attractions that make use of the steep inclines, including paragliders and sandboarding. Especially the latter is a must-try for sports lovers. This new Australia-born recreation of sliding down the sandy bank on a special board is popular around the world. In Japan, the Tottori Sand Dunes is the only place where it can be played in full-scale. The sandboarding season is until late November.

The surrounding areas also have a lot to offer for visitors year-round, such as swimming in the ocean in the summer, pear-picking in the fall and a colorful illumination event called the “Sand Dune Illusion” in the winter. “Rakkyo”, or pickled Japanese scallion, could make a good souvenir from this area.

Photo courtesy of Tohru Sasaki

Source: Travel Vision

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