Chapter 625: The Tottori Sand Dunes Sand Museum (鳥取砂丘 砂の美術館)

The Tottori Sand Dunes Sand Museum (鳥取砂丘 砂の美術館)

When I told my friends and colleagues that I went to see a sand museum in Tottori Japan, they didn’t believe me at first. Since, the word sand or dunes doesn’t seem to fit the image of the country. So it’s always funny to see people’s faces lit up in surprise when they come to realise that there is such a thing in Japan.

The sand museum is located towards the north of the city, towards the coast it sits across the road from the dunes. Access is easy, the best way to get there is to go via Bus or Car. From Tottori Station just jump on the bus that is bound for Tottori Sakyu (鳥取砂丘) and simply get off at the last stop. One way costs 370 Yen, they don’t have IC card facilities on the bus so be ready to have your coins at hand when you get off. One way takes approx 20 mins. During the summer between July – August there is a city loop bus in operation which is more convenient for exploring the city.

Entering the museum costs 600 yen per person, it’s opened usually between 9:00-18:00. When I arrived it was the early afternoon, it wasn’t packed at all. Every year they will showcase a new theme of sand sculptures, this year they were featuring beautiful displays of work inspired by South Asia. They even had a section featuring ‘The Jungle Book’ which was one of my favourite animated Disney movies when I was a kid.

You can go up the second floor to get a good view of all the art works, there is also a seating area and vending machine on the side, and a gift shop that sold plenty of herbs, teas, coffees, and souvenirs fitting the South Asian theme. Overall, I had a very lovely time here as I spent it leisurely admiring everything.

—Tofu