Tottori Sakyu Dunes: Exploring Japan's Desert

⭐ Did you know that in Japan there is also a desert of sand dunes? Like the sand dunes of Maranhão, Japan has its own tourist desert. Tottori Sand Dunes [Tottori Sand Dunes]. They cover more than 30km to the east of the city. Tottori in the region of China, are 16 kilometers long by two kilometers wide.

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 90 meters in height, offering a spectacular view of the sea and the horizon, the inclination of the dunes can reach up to 40 degrees, making Tottori a popular destination for tourists and sandboarding enthusiasts.

Sakyu [砂丘] is the Japanese word for sand dunes or sand hills. 

Tottori Sakyu - The Desert of Japan

It is said that this small desert exists thousands of years ago, when ash from the Daisen volcano mixed with sand from the Sendai River washed out to sea, which eventually washed the sand off the coast of Japan.

Desert in japan - the dunes of tottori sakyu

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 temperature of the sand is high and can reach up to 60º. some plants I'm sorry, "hamahirugao" is untranslated. and hamanigana are able to be born, because of the damp sand underneath. In winter the Tottori dunes 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.

Desert in japan - the dunes of tottori sakyu

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.

Desert in japan - the dunes of tottori sakyu

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:

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