Did you know that in Japan there is also a sand dune desert? Just like the sand dunes of Maranhão, Japan has its tourist desert known as Tottori Sakyu [鳥取砂丘]. It's over 30 km of sand spread to the east of the city of Tottori in the Chugoku region, measuring 16 kilometers in length and two kilometers in width.
The dunes are formed by the winds from the Sea of Japan, which bring the sand from the bottom of the ocean to the beach, and every year the landscape becomes prone to change.
At some points of the dunes, the hills reach heights of 90 meters, offering a spectacular view of the sea and the horizon; the inclines of the dunes can reach up to 40 degrees, making Tottori a popular destination for tourists and also sandboarding enthusiasts.
Sakyu [砂丘] is the Japanese word for sand dunes or sand hills.
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Tottori Sakyu - The Desert of Japan
They say that this small desert existed thousands of years ago when ashes from the Daisen Volcano mixed with the sand of the Sendai river carried to the sea, which eventually washed the sand onto the coast of Japan.
In this deserto it is possible to ride camels, horses, and even wheelchair users have a special chair to walk on the sand. The sand dunes in Tottori attract over 2 million tourists per year.
The sand temperature is high and can reach up to 60º. Some plants hamahirugao and hamanigana can grow, due to the moist sand underneath. In winter, the dunes of Tottori are covered by meters of snow.
To ride a camel in the dunes of Japan you pay around 1300 yen.
Tottori Sand Museum and Lighting
At the end of the year, the place also gains beautiful lighting at night called the Tottori sakyu illusion. Illuminations in tourist places are popular throughout Japan between November and December.
In the Tottori Desert you will also find a Sand Museum with large sand sculptures by artists from all over the world. Previously the sand exhibitions were held outdoors, but in 2012 the sand museum moved into its own permanent building.
To enter the sand museum you pay 600 yen. The museum closes from early January to mid-April with the aim of changing its exhibits annually. Every year you visit is a new experience.
The Tottori Desert is also the setting for many Japanese movies and dramas.
Ready to visit the dunes of Japan?
To visit the sand dunes in the Tottori region you can take a bus from Tottori Station to Tottori Sakyu [鳥取砂丘] and get off at the last stop.
The Tottori Sand Dunes is just one of the thousands of points you must visit in Japan. Have you had this opportunity? What was your experience? We like to hear your comments. To finish, let's leave some videos of this beautiful spot in Japan: