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Voykit pocket guide · Japan
Tottori
鳥取市
Go for one night: the sand dunes are the reason, and they are 20 min by bus from Tottori Station. Two nights only if you add the coast or Daisen.
Tottori is a small San'in coast city whose one unmissable sight is the Tottori Sand Dunes, a 2 km-wide band of sand 20 minutes by bus from the station. The city itself is walkable and cheap, with a castle ruin, a small museum cluster and a folkcraft collection. Most travellers pass through on the San'in line between Kyoto/Osaka and Matsue, or use it as a base for the coast, Daisen and Misasa. One night covers the dunes and the centre; two nights let you add a day trip.
- Country
- Japan
- Local name
- 鳥取市
- Best months
- Mar–May, Oct–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot and humid), mid-August Obon, late Jun–mid Jul rainy season
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JPY
- Money
- Cities are increasingly cashless; temples, small restaurants and some lodging taxes still want cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget ¥7,000–11,000 excl. bed · Mid ¥11,000–18,000 excl. bed · High ¥18,000+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Data-only eSIMs are the easy route: buy before you fly; voice SIMs need a residence card.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Fire and ambulance 119
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 100 V · 50 Hz east (Tokyo), 60 Hz west (Osaka) · Most sockets are two flat pins without earth; European and UK plugs need an adapter. Phone and laptop chargers handle 100 V.
- Tipping
- Restaurants and bars: No tip; staff will chase you to return money left on the table.; Taxis: No tip; pay the meter.; Ryokan: Optional: ¥1,000–3,000 in an envelope for the room attendant; never loose cash.; Private guide: Not expected; a small gift or a thank-you meal is more usual.; Hotel porter: No tip.
- Water
- Safe from the tap everywhere; stations and parks have fountains.
- Toilets
- Free, clean public toilets in stations, parks and konbini; paper goes in the toilet. Rural and old stations may have squat toilets.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | ¥400–700 |
| Noodle soup (ramen or soba) | ¥800–1,300 |
| Seafood rice bowl (kaisendon) near the port | ¥1,500–3,000 |
| Beer: draught in an izakaya / can at a konbini | ¥500–750 / ¥250–350 |
| Loop bus to the dunes | ¥300 single, ¥600 day pass (check) |
| Cable car to the Dune Observatory | ¥200 one way (check) |
| Museum entry (prefectural museum, folkcraft, history) | ¥180–500 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- TTJ · Tottori Airport
- Mainly Tokyo Haneda flights; bus to Tottori Station about 20 min
- YGJ · Yonago Kitaro Airport
- About 1 h 30 min by train to Tottori; more international links
- KIX · Kansai International
- Long-haul gateway; reach Tottori by limited express via Osaka or Kyoto
Typical fares
- Tottori Station → Sand Dunes, loop bus
- ¥300 single, ¥600 day pass, about 20 min (check)
- Tottori Station → Tottori Airport, bus
- about ¥460, about 20 min (check)
- Limited express Tottori → Kurayoshi
- about ¥2,000–2,500 reserved, about 40 min (check)
Get around
The centre between the station and Mt. Kyusho is walkable. For the dunes take the loop bus (single fare ¥300, day pass ¥600, includes luggage storage) or the local bus (about ¥380). The ¥100 Kururi bus runs three colour-coded routes every 20 min from the station. Trains and highway buses cover the wider San'in region.
See and do
Known for
- Tottori Sand Dunes
- Sandboarding and camel rides
- Tottori Castle ruins and cherry blossom
- The White Rabbit of Inaba legend
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Tottori Sand Dunes | Loop bus from Tottori Station, about 20 min | About 30 min |
| Kurayoshi | JR San'in line limited express west, about 40 min | About 1 h |
| Yonago | JR San'in line limited express west, about 1 h 15 min | About 1.5 h |
| Sakaiminato | JR San'in line west to Yonago, then Sakai line, about 1 h 45 min total | About 2 h |
| Daisen | JR to Yonago, then bus toward Daisen-ji, about 2 h total | About 2.5 h |
| Misasa Onsen | JR to Kurayoshi, then bus, about 1 h 30 min total | About 2 h |
Sleep
- Tottori Station area
- Best for one night with bags: buses to the dunes and the loop bus start here, plus the tourist information booth.
- Downtown / Suehiro-onsencho
- Restaurants, bars and the shopping arcade; 10–15 min walk from the station.
- Sand dunes area (Fukube / Yuyama)
- A few mins from the dunes for early-morning wind patterns; thin on food and transport after dark.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | すみませんsumimasen |
| Thank you | ありがとうございますarigatō gozaimasu |
| This one, please | これをくださいkore o kudasai |
| How much is it? | いくらですか？ikura desu ka |
| Can I pay by card? | カードで払えますか？kādo de haraemasu ka |
| Where is the toilet? | トイレはどこですか？toire wa doko desu ka |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: A small bow; a handshake if the other person offers; avoid: Hugs, back slaps, loud greetings
- Names: Family name plus -san; avoid: First names unless invited; adding -san to your own name
- Paying: Put money in the tray at the register; avoid: Tipping, or leaving loose cash for staff
- Trains: Queue at the floor marks, phone on silent, ask before reclining on the Shinkansen; avoid: Phone calls, eating on crowded commuter trains, blocking doors with bags
- Escalators: Stand on the side locals use — left in Tokyo, right in Osaka; stations now ask people to stand still on both; avoid: Stopping at the top or bottom
- Shoes: Off at the step-up entrance; toilet slippers only inside the toilet; avoid: Stepping on tatami in shoes or slippers
- Shrines: Rinse hands at the basin; bow twice, clap twice, bow once; avoid: Walking down the centre of the approach, which is for the deity
- Gifts: Offer and receive with both hands; bring a small omiyage for hosts; avoid: Sets of four; cash outside an envelope
Scams and watch-outs
- The dunes are free and open 24 h, but activities usually start around 09:00; go early to see wind patterns before the crowds.
- Sand gets into everything: bring a change of socks and a bag for shoes.
- Summer is hot and humid with strong sun on the sand; carry water.
- Small museums and temples keep short hours and close one day a week: check before you go.
- Buses to outlying sights are infrequent; plan the return bus before you set out.
One of Japan's calmer regional cities; the real risks are summer heat on the dunes, sand in your gear and infrequent buses back from outlying sights. Ask the total before you sit down in a bar with no posted prices.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Tottori yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Tottori Sand Dunes
- Sandboarding and camel rides
- Tottori Castle ruins and cherry blossom
- The White Rabbit of Inaba legend
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Tottori Sand Dunes visitor information: www.sakyu-vc.com/
- Tottori Prefectural Museum: www.pref.tottori.lg.jp/museum/
- Tottori Airport: www.ttj-ap-bld.co.jp/
- Wikivoyage: Tottori, revision 5247752 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5247752
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/tottori). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.