See the art patterns created by the wind and the sand at Tottori Sand Dunes! Mystical natural design

Let's climb Tottori Sand Dunes

The most famous and most impressive sightseeing spot in Tottori are the sand dunes. You cannot see anything of this caliber elsewhere in Japan, so it’s definitely a place worth visiting if you like travelling. On the photo you see “Umanose” (horseback), the highest sand dune. Actually, it’s only 50-meter tall, but do not underestimate it! It takes really a lot of efforts to climb the slippery sand. It’s much harder than you imagine, so be prepared. From a distance it looks like it can be climbed without much effort, but midway you realize how mistaken that is. First, be reticent. Take off your shoes and think about the people stranded in deserts… Don’t laugh, it really is quite hard. Take a drink with you and go for the challenge.

You don't need to be a professional photographer to take photos of the sand patterns

There are often photos of the sand patterns in guidebooks. Respectively, many people want to take similar photos themselves. These patterns are the art of the wind and the sand, and they appear only under certain conditions. The conditions are in fact not so elaborate. If you search online, many information sources will say that the patterns are mostly visible on the opposite side of the “Umanose” dune, but in fact you can see them everywhere. However, some effort is necessary. That is, waking up very early before sunrise. You can see the patterns even near the entrance, so the best thing to do is to go early before people destroy them with footsteps. Try not to destroy the patterns for the other visitors too – for example walk only where other people have walked before you. For even more beautiful sand patterns you should climb up “Umanose” dune.

There are several conditions for the formation of the sand patterns: 1. A certain speed of the wind (5-7 m/s) 2. The sand must be dry 3. The sand should not be in lumps 4. The sand particles should be of a particular size Some people think that all four conditions must be present, but as you’ll learn in Tottori prefecture’s Tourism Association, you can effectively see some sand patterns anytime besides on rainy days. Where people don’t walk you can even see patterns from a few days ago. On the photo you can see the sand patterns around “Umanose” dune. The view of the natural patterns created by the collaboration of the sea and the wind is spectacular.

What if you cannot see the sand patterns?

If you’re wondering what to do in case you cannot see the sand patterns, don’t worry. At Tottori Sand Dunes you can enjoy sand art even during rainy days. The place for that is the Sand Museum. Both the sand patterns and the art objects in the museum are sand art. If it rains outside, let’s enjoy the man-made sand creations. Exhibitions change annually around the concept of world travel. In 2006 they began with the “Italian Renaissance”, while in 2013 it was “Southeast Asia”. You will be surprised by the precision of the sand objects. After each exhibition ends, the spectacular objects return back to plain sand. And then back from sand to art for the next exhibition… the entire process is overwhelming. You start to think how the artists possess special ways of thinking and peculiar imagination. Between December 14-25, 2013, there was a Christmas projection mapping too which could be seen with an ordinary admission ticket.