Chūgoku · Prefecture · JP-31
Tottori
鳥取県とっとりけんTottori-kenDunes, a sacred volcano and the snow-crab coast of San'in
Tottori is the least populous of Japan's 47 prefectures, a narrow strip of the San'in coast on the Sea of Japan between Hyogo and Shimane. It is known for the Tottori Sand Dunes, the volcanic cone of Mount Daisen and a coastline rich in snow crab.
Overview
Tottori Prefecture stretches about 120 kilometres along the Sea of Japan, a band of coastal plains and river valleys backed by the Chūgoku Mountains. It is the least populous prefecture in Japan, and much of its character comes from that scale: small cities, farming valleys, fishing ports and a landscape that reaches from sand dunes to a 1,729-metre volcano within a short drive.
The east, the old province of Inaba, centres on the city of Tottori and the Tottori Sand Dunes, the largest dune field open to visitors in Japan and part of the San'in Kaigan UNESCO Global Geopark. The west, the old province of Hōki, is dominated by Mount Daisen, long a centre of mountain worship, and by the commercial city of Yonago and the fishing port of Sakaiminato.
Between them lie Kurayoshi with its white-walled storehouses, the radon hot springs of Misasa and the cliff-hung Nageire-dō hall of Mitoku-san. Tottori's cuisine is shaped by the sea and by its sandy soils: matsuba-gani snow crab, Nijisseiki pears and rakkyō shallots grown in the dunes.
Name and origins
The name Tottori, literally "bird catching", is traced to the Totoribe (鳥取部), a hereditary guild of the ancient court whose members caught waterfowl in the marshes around the present city; the name appears in the eighth-century Nihon Shoki. The castle town took the name, and the prefecture took it from the castle town.
The prefecture combines the two provinces of Inaba (east) and Hōki (west), which in the Edo period formed the Tottori Domain of the Ikeda clan. Tottori Prefecture was created in 1871, absorbed into Shimane in 1876 and re-established within its present borders in 1881 after local petitioning.
Cities
Geography
The prefecture is long and narrow, with the Chūgoku Mountains forming its southern border with Okayama and Hyogo. Three main rivers, the Sendai, Tenjin and Hino, flow north to the Sea of Japan, each with its own plain and its own city: Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago. The coast alternates between sandy beaches, dunes and the rocky ria shoreline of Uradome in the far east.
In the west, Mount Daisen rises as an isolated volcanic massif, and the Yumigahama sand spit curves north to Sakaiminato, enclosing the brackish lagoon of Nakaumi, which the prefecture shares with Shimane.
Climate
Tottori has a Sea of Japan climate: hot, humid summers and cloudy, damp winters with frequent snow brought by north-westerly monsoon winds. Snowfall is moderate on the coast and heavy on Daisen and in the southern mountains, where ski areas operate. Late summer can bring the foehn effect, with some of the highest temperatures on the San'in coast.
Landscape
- 鳥取砂丘Tottori-sakyū
A coastal dune field about 16 km long formed by sand carried down the Sendai River and reworked by wind and waves; a Natural Monument and part of San'in Kaigan National Park.
- 大山Daisen
A 1,729-metre stratovolcano, the highest peak in the Chūgoku region, called Hōki-Fuji for its symmetrical western profile.
- 浦富海岸Uradome-kaigan
A ria coast of granite islets, sea caves and pine-topped rocks at the eastern end of the prefecture, within the San'in Kaigan National Park and Geopark.
Sendai River
千代川Sendai-gawaThe main river of the Inaba area, whose sediments feed the Tottori Sand Dunes.
Yumigahama Peninsula
弓ヶ浜YumigahamaA bow-shaped sand spit some 17 km long between Yonago and Sakaiminato, separating Miho Bay from the Nakaumi lagoon.
Lake Koyama
湖山池Koyama-ikeA coastal lagoon on the western edge of Tottori city, among the largest bodies of water in Japan to be called a pond.
Nature in this prefecture
History
The coastal plains of Tottori were densely settled in the Yayoi period; the hilltop settlement of Mukibanda near Daisen is among the largest Yayoi sites in Japan. Inaba and Hōki appear early in the chronicles, and the myth of the White Hare of Inaba in the Kojiki is set on its coast.
In the medieval period the Yamana clan held both provinces. In 1581 Hashiba (Toyotomi) Hideyoshi reduced Tottori Castle in a months-long siege that starved the garrison into surrender. From 1617 the Ikeda clan ruled a united domain of Inaba and Hōki from Tottori, with a branch fortress at Yonago. After the Meiji Restoration the prefecture was briefly merged with Shimane before regaining its independence in 1881. The 1943 Tottori earthquake and a major fire in 1952 destroyed much of the old capital.
1st–3rd c.
Large Yayoi-period settlements flourish, including Mukibanda on the flanks of Daisen and Aoya-Kamijichi on the coast.
718
Daisen-ji is founded, according to temple tradition, as a centre of mountain worship on Daisen.
1581
Hashiba Hideyoshi takes Tottori Castle after a siege that starves the defenders under Kikkawa Tsuneie.
1617
Ikeda Mitsumasa is assigned Tottori; from 1632 Ikeda Mitsunaka's line rules Inaba and Hōki until 1871.
1871
Tottori Prefecture is established with the abolition of the domains.
1876–1881
The prefecture is merged into Shimane and then re-established after local petitioning.
1943
The Tottori earthquake (magnitude 7.2) devastates the city of Tottori.
1955
The Tottori Sand Dunes are designated a Natural Monument and included in the newly created San'in Kaigan Quasi-National Park, upgraded to a national park in 1963.
2010
The San'in Kaigan Geopark, spanning Tottori, Hyogo and Kyoto prefectures, joins the Global Geoparks Network.
Culture
Tottori played a significant part in the mingei (folk craft) movement: the physician Yoshida Shōya revived local pottery, woodwork and textiles in the 1930s and founded the Tottori Mingei Museum. Traditional crafts such as Inshū washi paper and Yumigahama ikat cotton continue in small workshops.
The prefecture is also closely associated with manga. Sakaiminato is the hometown of Mizuki Shigeru, creator of GeGeGe no Kitarō, and Hokuei is the birthplace of Aoyama Gōshō, author of Detective Conan; both are commemorated in museums and street decorations, and the two airports carry their characters' names.
Festivals
Tottori Shan-shan Festival
鳥取しゃんしゃん祭Tottori Shan-shan MatsuriA mid-August street festival in Tottori city built around the Inaba umbrella dance, with thousands of dancers twirling bell-hung paper umbrellas.
Mochigase Nagashi-bina
用瀬の流しびなMochigase no nagashi-binaOn the third day of the third month of the old lunar calendar, paired paper dolls are set afloat on the Sendai River in small straw boats to carry away misfortune.
Daisen Summer Mountain Opening
大山夏山開き祭Daisen natsuyama-biraki matsuriAn early-June torchlight procession from Daisen-ji and Ōgamiyama Shrine marking the start of the climbing season.
Kaike Onsen Fireworks
皆生温泉の花火Kaike Onsen no hanabiSummer fireworks over the beach of Yonago's seaside hot-spring resort.
Traditional crafts
Inshū washi
因州和紙Inshū washiHandmade paper from Aoya and Saji, a designated traditional craft valued especially for calligraphy paper.
Yumigahama-gasuri
弓浜絣Yumigahama-gasuriIndigo-dyed ikat cotton from the Yumigahama peninsula, with pictorial patterns; a designated traditional craft.
Inshū Nakai-gama pottery
因州中井窯Inshū Nakai-gamaA mingei kiln near Tottori city known for its green, black and white split-glaze designs developed under Yoshida Shōya.
Traditions
Inaba umbrella dance
因幡の傘踊りInaba no kasa-odoriA folk dance performed with long-handled umbrellas hung with small bells, originally a rain-making prayer.
Hare of Inaba legend
因幡の白兎Inaba no shirousagiThe Kojiki myth of a hare rescued by the god Ōkuninushi, localised at Hakuto Beach and Hakuto Shrine west of Tottori city.
Daisen mountain worship
大山信仰Daisen shinkōCenturies-old veneration of Daisen as a sacred mountain, centred on Daisen-ji and Ōgamiyama Shrine and linked to the protection of cattle and horses.
Cuisine
Sakaiminato and the Inaba ports land large catches of snow crab, red snow crab and bluefin tuna, and winter crab dishes define Tottori's table. The sandy soils of the coast are used for rakkyō, watermelons and nagaimo yam, while the Nijisseiki pear has been grown here since the early twentieth century.
Matsuba-gani
松葉がにMatsuba-ganiMale snow crab from the Sea of Japan, eaten boiled, grilled or in hot pot during the winter season.
Nijisseiki pear
二十世紀梨Nijisseiki nashiA crisp, juicy green Japanese pear introduced in 1904 and closely identified with the prefecture.
Sand-dune rakkyō
砂丘らっきょうSakyū rakkyōSmall Chinese shallots grown in the Fukube dune fields and pickled in sweet vinegar.
Tottori beef-bone ramen
牛骨ラーメンGyūkotsu rāmenRamen in a clear, sweet broth made from beef bones, a speciality of central and western Tottori.
Tofu chikuwa
豆腐ちくわTōfu chikuwaA tube-shaped fish-and-tofu cake from Tottori city, said to date from the Ikeda lords' encouragement of frugal food.
Iwagaki oysters
岩がきIwagakiLarge rock oysters harvested in summer along the Tottori coast.
Hot springs
Misasa Onsen
三朝温泉Misasa OnsenA riverside spa town in the Tenjin valley whose springs are among the most radon-rich in Japan; base for visiting Mitoku-san.
Kaike Onsen
皆生温泉Kaike OnsenA seaside resort on Yonago's beach with salty springs that rise from the sea floor.
Hawai Onsen and Tōgō Onsen
はわい温泉・東郷温泉Hawai Onsen, Tōgō OnsenTwin spa resorts on the shores of Lake Tōgō in central Tottori.
Iwai Onsen
岩井温泉Iwai OnsenOne of the oldest spa towns in San'in, near Uradome, known for the custom of pouring water over the head with ladles to a work song.
Economy
Tottori has the smallest economy of the prefectures. Agriculture and fisheries are prominent for its size, with Sakaiminato one of the main Sea of Japan ports for crab and tuna. Manufacturing centres on electronic components, food processing and pulp and paper, and tourism draws on the dunes, Daisen and the hot springs.
Key industries
- Fisheries and seafood processing (Sakaiminato)
- Fruit and vegetables: pears, watermelon, rakkyō, broccoli
- Beef and dairy farming around Daisen
- Electronic components and devices
- Food and beverage processing
- Tourism
Notable people
Ikeda Mitsunaka (1630–1693)
池田光仲First lord of the Tottori Domain line that ruled Inaba and Hōki until the Meiji era.
Yoshida Shōya (1898–1972)
吉田璋也Physician and mingei activist who revived Tottori's folk crafts and founded the Tottori Mingei Museum.
Mizuki Shigeru (1922–2015)
水木しげるManga artist raised in Sakaiminato, creator of GeGeGe no Kitarō and a chronicler of yōkai folklore.
Taniguchi Jirō (1947–2017)
谷口ジローManga artist from Tottori city, author of The Walking Man and A Distant Neighbourhood, widely read in Europe.
Aoyama Gōshō (born 1963)
青山剛昌Manga artist from Hokuei, creator of Detective Conan.
Getting there
- Tottori Sand Dunes Conan Airport, close to Tottori city, and Yonago Kitaro Airport in the west both have flights from Tokyo Haneda of about an hour and a quarter.
- Limited express trains run from Osaka and Kyoto via the Chizu Express line to Tottori in about two and a half hours, and from Okayama to Tottori and to Yonago, connecting with the San'yō Shinkansen.
- The San'in Main Line links Tottori, Kurayoshi and Yonago along the coast and continues west to Matsue and Izumo in Shimane.
- Expressways connect Tottori with the Kansai region and, via the Yonago Expressway, with Okayama; highway buses run from Osaka, Kobe, Hiroshima and Tokyo.
Former provinces
- 因幡国Inaba no kuni
- 伯耆国Hōki no kuni
Prefectural symbols
- Flower
- 二十世紀梨の花Nijisseiki-nashi no hana
- Tree
- ダイセンキャラボクDaisen-kyaraboku
- Bird
- オシドリOshidori
Frequently asked questions
Is Tottori the smallest prefecture in Japan?
It has the smallest population of the 47 prefectures. By area, Kagawa is the smallest; Tottori ranks among the smaller ones.
How do you get to the Tottori Sand Dunes?
Buses run from JR Tottori Station to the dunes in about 20 minutes. The dunes lie on the city's northern coast and are part of San'in Kaigan National Park.
When is snow-crab season in Tottori?
The snow-crab fishing season in the Sea of Japan opens in early November and runs through the winter, which is when crab dishes are served fresh across the prefecture.
Can you climb Mount Daisen?
Yes. The standard trail from Daisen-ji to the Misen summit area takes about three hours up and is used from late spring to autumn; the rugged true summit ridge is closed because of erosion.
What is Mitoku-san known for?
Its Sanbutsu-ji temple includes the Nageire-dō, a small hall built into a cliff face and designated a National Treasure, reached by a steep ascetic trail.
Related
Sources
- 1.鳥取県公式サイト とりネット (opens in a new tab) — 鳥取県
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — Statistics Bureau of Japan
- 3.全国都道府県市区町村別面積調 (opens in a new tab) — 国土地理院
- 4.山陰海岸国立公園・大山隠岐国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省
- 5.Tottori (opens in a new tab) — JNTO