A Museum of Coastal Landforms
Day 1
San’inkaigan National Park is a coastal park facing sea of Japan and stretching about 75 km from Kyoto Prefecture to Tottori Prefecture. It is a rias coast where the mountains directly meet the sea, and the coastal landscape is characterized by a rich variety of coastal landscapes.
My first stop was the famous Tottori Sand Dunes which span in the western part of the park (They’re one of the largest sand dunes in Japan!). The weather on that day was unpredictable, changing from sunshine to rain in just a couple of minutes, but it added the dynamic stripes of wet and dry sand colors adding a dramatic touch to the landscape which I loved!
After recharging with some Niku Soba at a restaurant where you can overlook the sand dunes, I walked over to The Sand Museum to check out their latest exhibition "Czechia & Slovakia". The museum showcases different works from artists all over the world who mastered the art of sand sculpting and this time the pieces were all themed around scenes from the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It was impressive to see the amount of detail and craftsmanship put into each and every piece. I didn't even know this was possible with just sand! Every time the Tottori Sand Museum holds a new exhibition, it invites artists from around the world to create new works, so no matter what time of year you visit, you are sure to encounter new world-class works.
To end the day I visited one of the local restaurants to feast on some fresh crab! Matsuba crab, a local specialty only offered in the winter season, is a must try if you get the chance!
(The photo of crab feast was taken at Matsumura Ryokan Siomitei)
Day 2
My second day started with a drive along the ocean to visit the beautiful Kasumi coast. Having lived in Tokyo for over 6 years made me forget how much beautiful nature Japan has to offer! This is an inlet where the reefs and a white sandy beach called Senjojiki lie next to each other. It's a great spot to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The movie "Norwegian Wood” based on the novel written by Haruki Murakami was filmed here by the Imagoura cove. In the first photo, you can also see Frog Rock, a rock that resembles the shape of a frog, created by nature in the coastal area of Imagoura.
After the coast, my journey took me into the mountains to explore Genbudo Park, a park known for its abstract rock patterns that formed from cooling lava. The surrounding autumn foliage made the entire scenery feel like I was in a movie. It's hard to imagine that these patterns aren't man-made but emerged naturally!
The Hyogo Park of the Oriental White Stork is a nurturing activity that began with the aim of releasing storks back into the wild, and in 2020, a total of 74 individuals returned to the wild. You can see beautiful storks living in nature. The storks were unexpectedly large, and it was the first time I had seen them standing in nature, which was impressive.
It was a great day full of different activities so I ended it by taking a stroll through Kinosaki Onsen, a small town packed with hot spring baths and traditional Japanese inn‘s. Seeing so many tourists walking around in yukata and geta, I felt it was a place where I could catch a glimpse of old-fashioned Japan. Ending a day's journey with a soothing soak in an onsen is a very Japanese way to travel.
Day 3
The final day! It was an early morning rise but it was worth it. I started with a quick visit to Gosyo no Yu one of the most beautiful onsen in Kinosaki. In total the facility has seven different hot springs. Taking a bath surrounded by autumn foliage? Oh yeees!
After that I walked over to the market to check out some local fresh produce. They had everything from fruits, to
oranges, to fresh crab!
Next up was an adventurous fat bike tour by the Tottori Sand Dunes. We climbed a near by mountain on our bikes and enjoyed the beautiful view of the autumn foliage, the ocean and the sand dunes. The thick tires make it possible to go anywhere. The tour guide told me that a scenery like this can't be seen anywhere else in Japan. It really was the perfect time to visit! We cruised down to the ocean on our fat bikes and rode along the beach and back to our starting point. It was such a great experience!
My last stop of the trip was the San’in Kaigan Geopark Center which boasts different dioramas, fossils and some hands-on installations. Here, we learned a lot about the unique landscape and geology of the area, and were able to look back and further understand what we had seen on our trips!
During my three-day trip to the Shinonsen-cho San’in Kaigan Geopark Center
area, I was able to fully appreciate the astonishing beauty of this land created by nature. If you have a chance, please go and enjoy the natural charm that can only be found here.
