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Slip through deep forests, trace mountain ridgelines, and listen to the surge of the ocean waves—travel in San’in frees you from everyday rhythms and invites you to move in tune with nature. Everything you see belongs to an unbroken chain of “life” safeguarded since antiquity. Gazing at these scenes helps you face your own vitality, breathing new energy into your body and mind. Here you can play, heal, and feel reborn in the great outdoors.
Local Insight
We asked Hiroshi Uemoto of JTB’s San’in Branch—who offers the sandboarding and seafood tour in Tottori—to share his insights.
Q. What makes this tour special?
Tottori Sand Dunes are like a natural playground. After climbing the ridge locals call the Horse’s Back, guests ride sandboards down the slope with the Sea of Japan just ahead. It is a big rush, yet safe for beginners. Soft landings, year-round sessions, helmets, insurance, and English-speaking instructors are all in place. We also stop at the Sand Museum, where sculptors build giant castles and temples from nothing but sand and water. This year’s theme is Japan, so you can see Japan’s famous sights, recreated in towering sand sculptures, right here in Tottori. To round things off, we serve seafood pulled straight from the harbor—oysters in summer, crab in winter, and whatever else is in season.
Q. What is the wider appeal of the San’in area?
San’in still feels undiscovered. You have two UNESCO Geoparks, Daisen-Oki National Park, and coastlines shaped by nature. Food lovers find more than seafood here: Tottori wagyu beef, pears like Nijisseiki and Shinkansen, sweet watermelons, and crunchy rakkyo scallions all come from nearby farms. Shimane, right next door, offers Izumo Taisha Grand Shrine, traditional industries brought about by iron-making, and Iwami Kagura performances. Nature, history, and good food all sit within easy reach.
Q. How does the tour echo EXPO 2025’s theme of “Saving Lives”?
San’in is a textbook example of people working with nature rather than against it. Fishermen, farmers, and tourism businesses share the same stretch of coast. The dunes host sandboarding and paragliding instead of lying unused, turning a scenic landscape into a sustainable space for recreation and local income. It shows that economic activity and conservation can move forward together.
Q. Any final message for international visitors coming to Japan for the Expo?
Come for a day that mixes excitement and calm. Ride the dunes, taste the day’s catch, and breathe air that still feels wild. Airports, train stations, and the port all sit close to the dunes, so you spend less time in transit and more time outdoors. San’in is still off most itineraries—make it your own discovery.
DAY 1
EXPO 2025
Osaka
Provided by: Japan Association for the 2025 World Exposition
DAY 2
Tottori Sand Dunes
Tottori
Japan’s largest coastal dune field, Tottori Sand Dunes stretch roughly 16 km—an awe-inspiring landscape sculpted by nature.
Sandboarding down a 30-degree slope—thrill-seekers can’t get enough of the speed and exhilaration of sliding down the dunes.
From Osaka, ride the limited-express train—about 2 hours 40 minutes—to Tottori Station. Begin at the harbor-side seafood market, where the nutrient-rich Sea of Japan sends its catch straight from boat to stall. After lunch, venture out to the famous Tottori Sand Dunes. Face the sea and rocket down the steep, shifting slopes on a sandboard—an adrenaline rush you won’t soon forget. Round out the afternoon at the one-of-a-kind Sand Museum, where intricate yet monumental sculptures carved solely from sand leave visitors awestruck. In a single sweep, this itinerary serves up nature, art, and gastronomy.
Adrenaline on the Sand! A Trip to Enjoy Tottori Sand Dune Sandboarding and Seafood Cuisine
DAY 3
Mt. Daisen
Tottori
From the 850 m-high ski area, coast through beech groves, scenic switchbacks, and country lanes on a guided cycling tour.
Catch a limited-express train to Yonago, then continue by private vehicle toward Mt. Daisen, the tallest peak in the Chugoku region. After paying respects at Daisenji, a mountainside temple, enjoy a monk’s-guesthouse lunch of traditional mountain-vegetable Shojin cuisine while gazing at the vast natural backdrop out the window.
Post-meal, harness Daisen’s dramatic elevation drop for a downhill ride, racing along ancient paths and rice-field panoramas in a full-body adventure. When you’ve worked up a sweat, soak away fatigue in hot springs that rise from 1,200 m underground.
After disbanding at Yonago Station, consider one last stop at Yonago Castle, one of the city’s finest viewpoints. From its ruins you can look across Mt. Daisen, the Sea of Japan, and the urban skyline all at once. Sunrise is beautiful, but the castle’s sunsets are truly exceptional.
From the top of Yonago Castle, until late August you can watch the sun sink behind the Shimane Peninsula—one of San’in’s finest sunsets.
DAY 4
Oki Islands
Shimane
Matengai Cliff—Oki’s top viewpoint; at the summit, broad green pasture hosts grazing cows and horses.
High-speed ferries run from Sakaiminato to the Oki Islands—about 60 km north of the Shimane coast. This archipelago of four inhabited and roughly 180 uninhabited isles is a UNESCO Global Geopark, recognized not only for rare geology and ecosystems but also for fishing and other human traditions woven into the seascape. Feel earth’s wonder on these mystic islands, where nature and people coexist in singular harmony. For your stay, head to Entô in Ama Town—a remote island hotel unique to the Oki Islands. Rooted in the richness of simplicity, it offers a minimalist yet deeply meaningful retreat that honors both unspoiled nature and human connection.
Glass-fronted dining and guest rooms at Entô—every room faces the sea, dissolving the boundary between indoors and the surrounding nature.
Entô Geopark Private Tour, where guides who know every cove lead bespoke adventures—trekking, cruising, sea-kayaking, or E-biking—tailored to your wishes.
